Yu-Gi-Oh! Overlapped Eyes
by Shiningstar Girl 777
Summary: An amnesic spirit, a struggle between light and dark, and one boy who can save the world. From the beginning, to Duelist Kingdom, to Battle City, to the virtual world, back to Battle city, to Atlantis, to the Grand Championship, to Capsule Monsters, to the Millennium world of memories, and to the ceremonial battle. The one that started it all. Please enjoy, subscribe, and review!
1. Prologue

**Long ago, when the pyramids of Egypt were still young, Kings played a game of great and terrible power. The history of gaming is said to extend five thousand years into the past, to the times of Ancient Egypt, games served as magic ceremonies to tell the fortunes of men and kings and even to change a person's fate. Such Ceremonies were known as shadow games. But these shadows erupted into a war that threatened to destroy the entire world. Until a brave and powerful pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it in the seven mystical Millennium Items. Five thousand years later, a certain youth solves and unlocks the secret of the Millennium Puzzle and becomes heir to the shadow games. He is infused with ancient magical energies, for destiny has chosen him to defend the world from the return of the shadow games, just as the brave pharaoh did five thousand years ago. This boy who processes two hearts, one of light and one of darkness was known to man as YUGIOH!**


	2. Duel 001

Yu-gi-oh!

*This is a combination of the Japanese and English version of the Duel Monsters anime.

*See, while the Japanese dub is more accurate to the mouth movements and facts and has no irrelevant materials and lines, the English version has more close relationships, with Yami addressing Yugi by his name rather than Partner. (That's the problem with Americanized anime, not accurate enough.)

*For the record, everyone is going to have their English names.

*And as a special treat, I've added an original character or two.

*But before I get to the first episode with Yugi's and Kaiba's duel, I'll go right to the very beginning.

RELAX AND ENJOY!

_**Duel 001**__**:**_

_**Domino High School, Present Day**__**:**_

DING DONG! DING DONG! The bell rang out, signaling the afternoon break for the students at Domino High. "Come on! Let's play some basketball!" a male student called out to his classmates. Some went out of the classroom, while others stayed behind. One of them was a small boy with a unique spiky hairstyle with a combination of magenta, gold, and black. Along with his stature, his round amethyst eyes made him look more like an elementary school student than a high school one.

He was building a tower of playing cards and was about to complete it, when… "Hey, Yugi!" the student who suggested the basketball game called out. As the small youth was about to answer him, his card tower collapsed.

"Why don't you put away those games and join us?" he asked, spinning the ball in his hand. "What? No, whichever team I'm on, will most certainly lose." Yugi answered shyly. "Oh, that's true! Hey guys! Let's go! The girls can even join!" the student called out as he took off.

Back in the empty classroom, Yugi was gathering up the scattered cards. "I wish I could play with the others." Yugi thought to himself, "I bring all sort of games to play with others, but no one seems interested." Then an idea came across his mind. "I know! Maybe I can finish that today!" he exclaimed.

Yugi reached into his school bag and pulled out a golden box with hieroglyphics carved into it and a golden eye in the center of the front. "This is my treasure!" Yugi exclaimed, "But it's a secret. And there's a quiz; inside is something you can see, but have never seen before. So what is it? The answer is…"

But just before Yugi could open the lid to the golden box, it was snatched out of his hands. Surprised, Yugi looked up and saw a young boy the same age as him with sporadic dirty blonde hair and brown eyes that were drearily examining the box. "Joey!" Yugi exclaimed.

The person in question was Joey Wheeler, a classmate of Yugi's. One wouldn't say that they were friends, seeing as he teased Yugi every chance he got. Though Joey claims he's just trying to toughen Yugi up.

"Yugi, why are you talking to yourself?" Joey asked, "Can see but can't see. That don't make a lick of sense." "Give it back!" Yugi demanded as he tried to get the box out of Joey's grasp. But joey was too tall for Yugi to handle. Then he tosses the chest behind him, and it landed into the hands of another.

This new figure was Joey's pal, Tristan Taylor. He was often his partner in crime. He had brown eyes and brown hair that was arranged into a spike in the front fo his head. "Nice toss, Joe," Tristan stated with a smirk while keeping the box out of Yugi's reach and tossing back to Joey who caught it with ease.

"Geez, treasuring this box like a girl. You know, stuff like that is what really gets under my skin." Joey said to Yugi, "So let me teach you how to be more manly! Come on! You want this box back right? Come at me with full force!" "I HATE FIGHTING AND VIOLENCE!" The small boy screamed at the top of his lungs. "ACK! For a little guy, you sure yell pretty loud!" Joey exclaimed.

"Anyway, just give it back!" Yugi demanded. "What's in that thing by the way?" Tristan asked out loud. "Oh yeah, how's about we take a look?" Joey mused. "Please, just be careful with it! It's ancient and very precious!" Yugi pleaded. Joey opened the lid a crack and immediately closed it with a jaded expression. "What's this? How lame!" he complained.

Then the box was seized out of his grasp by a female student with short brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. "Tea!" Yugi stated with relief. "If it's so lame give it back!" the girl reprimanded, "Also, picking on someone weaker than yourself makes you the lame ones."

"What do you know?" Tristan huffed. "I'm not bullying! I'm making Yugi into a man!" Joey explained. "Bullying is bullying no matter what one says!" another female student with long blackish-brown hair tied into partial braids and dark purplish blue eyes said as she whacked the two boys across the heads as she walked past them.

This was Satomi Takeuchi, a fellow classmate that Téa met at the opening ceremony and she quickly became good friends with her and Yugi. Especially with their love of games.

"If you two don't have anything better to do then get before I get even more physical with you." She warned cracking her knuckles. "You know, my stomach's growling, so we better get going." Tristan sweatdropped as he dragged Joey along with his escape. "Man, those guys!" Téa huffed. "You can say that again," Satomi said in agreement.

_**In the Hallway**__**:**_

"Man those girls really get on my nerves," Joey complained. "Like nagging moms," Tristan stated. "Where do they come off accusing us of bullying?" Joey said. Then the two boys bumped into a figure clearly more massive than the both of them combined.

In front of them was Testu Trudge, the head of the Disciplinary Committee. He was easily over six feet tall in a prompt school uniform with a band saying 'Hall Monitor' on his upper right arm. "What's this I heard about 'bullying?'" he interrogated.

"What is it to you…" Joey started to say, but Tristan quickly covered his mouth. "Nothing at all!" he covered as Joey struggled to speak. "Very well then." Testu acknowledged as he began to walk away but stopped for a second, "By the way, make sure to properly tuck in your shirts." With that, he walked out of sight.

As soon as the bear of a student was out of sight, Joey freed himself from Tristan and took in a deep breath of air. "What was that about?!" he demanded. "Look, That guy is not someone to mess with. Don't get on his bad side." Tristan warned. "Whatever!" Joey scoffed.

_**Back in the Classroom**__**:**_

"Thanks a lot, you two," Yugi said in gratitude. "I had some experience with bullies since they used to pick on my little brother a lot. So I know how to deal with them" Satomi explained. "Besides if you act soft, they'll mess with you." Téa added, "You got to have guts!" "But Joey and Tristan aren't that bad…" Yugi stated softly. "That attitude what's makes people pick on you." Satomi deadpanned.

"By the way, what is this?" Téa said, referring to the golden box. "Oh, that's right! You two haven't seen it." Yugi exclaimed, "I'll show you my secret." "Won't tell a soul," Satomi promised.

Yugi opened the lid, and a glittering golden glow was seen. "Wow! It's beautiful!" Téa exclaimed. "Yeah it is, but what is it exactly, they look like tiny parts of something," Satomi observed as she examined a piece that looked like a small jewel.

"That's because this is a puzzle. The Millenium Puzzle to be exact." Yugi explained, "I haven't finished it yet, so I don't know what it looks like. It's something you can see, but yet can't see." "Really…" Téa mused.

"My house is actually a game store, so we get a lot of games from different countries." Yugi continued to explain, "This is actually something my grandpa found when he was still an archeologist. He found it in an Egyptian ruin." "In the words of the immortal Lewis Carroll, 'Curiouser and curiouser," Satomi stated.

"Take a look at the carvings on the side of the box." Yugi added, "I know a little hieroglyphics so I can guess what they say. 'Whoever solves this puzzle will have their heart's deepest desire granted.' Or something like that, you two probably think I'm silly." "No way! It's just so like you." Téa said with a laugh.

"I know a bit about solving puzzles, so I have a suggestion." Satomi added, "Organize the pieces into different piles. Like the ones that look like the edges and put them together and go from there." "I've never thought about that, I'll try it. Thanks!" Yugi said in gratitude, "There's a piece that's not like the rest, one with an eye like the one on the box, that's the one I'm saving for last."

"So what did you wish for?" Téa asked. "No way! I'll never ever, ever tell anyone!" Yugi exclaimed. "Yeah, Tea! Don't you know the old saying that if you tell someone your wish, it won't come true?" Satomi added. "You're right about that!" Téa stated in half embarrassment. With that, threesome shared a light laugh.

_**Back in the Hallway**__**:**_

Joey opened his palm and revealed a golden piece with an eye on it. "What you got there Joey?" Tristan asked. "I took this when I took a peek in that box of his" Joey explained, "It looked like some kind of puzzle, which means with even one piece and his precious puzzle will never be complete." "Joey…could you be a little more creative?" Tristan asked, unimpressed. "Who asked you?!" Joey snapped. Tristan just sighed in defeat. "Nevermind, I'll see you later!" he said as he left the hall.

After he left the hall, Joey looked at the golden eye in his hand, and then out of the nearby window that shown a view of the school's pool. Without a second thought, he threw the piece out of the window and into the pool water below. "Yugi Muto, treasuring a measly little puzzle. What an ignorant little kid. Really gets under my skin. His treasure, please..." Joey muttered to himself as he walked off as the puzzle piece floated to the bottom of the pool.

_**After School, in the Courtyard**__**:**_

Yugi was walking back home, then he saw the disciplinary committee practicing their martial arts. This group was known to be ruthless to those who break the rules. There were even rumors that they resort to dirty tactics and blackmail. Yugi didn't want any trouble, so he decided to sneak away. But no such luck.

"Wait right there!" a voice called out, stopping Yugi in his tracks. "You're Yugi Muto from Class 1B, right?" Trudge asked. "Yes," Yugi answered. "I have a question for you. You haven't by any chance experienced bullying?" "What? No, not at all!" Yugi responded as he tried to leave.

"Now hold on, someone of your character would say something like that." Trudge stated, "Therefore I will be your bodyguard." "What?! No thank you! I'm fine!" Yugi insisted as he ran off. But as he did, Trudge had a wicked smile on his face.

_**At Kame Game Shop**__**:**_

When the sun had set, Yugi reached his family game shop, Kame Games. Outside was a middle-aged woman with a brown bob haircut and light purple eyes wearing a simple outfit sweeping the outside of the shop. "Welcome home, Yugi!" she greeted cheerfully. "I'm home, Mom!" he greeted back.

"A friend of yours is inside by the way." She added as her son went into the shop. "A friend?" Yugi mused as he saw who was inside. "Tea!" Yugi exclaimed. "It's been so long since I've last came here, so I figured I would take a trip down memory lane." She explained.

"You're finally home Yugi!" An old man with a gray version of Yugi's hair with a beard and mustache wearing green overalls and an orange bandana said. "I'm home, Grandpa!" Yugi greeted.

"And Tea's here as well, I haven't seen you in years, you have grown up so much! Especially in certain areas." Grandpa Muto exclaimed. Téa backed up from that comment. "He sure hasn't changed." She thought to herself.

"By the way, Yugi, I heard from Tea." Grandpa said, turning serious, "You still haven't given up on that thing?" "Who's given up?" Yugi answered.

"That puzzle is beyond human understanding, you can't do it!" Grandpa tried to reason, "Besides, there's a lot of history behind it." "What kind of history?" Téa asked. Then Grandpa cut a severe glare to her, sending a chill up Tea's spine and a perplexed look on Yugi's.

"They say that the golden box that contains the puzzle belonged to a powerful pharaoh who had it buried in the Valley of the Kings. Everyone on the excavation team I was on, lost their lives trying to get it. I was the only one who survived. The reason for that was because of a mysterious game that the ancient Egyptians used to play. The Shadow Games!" Grandpa explained in a dark tone.

"Yugi, that puzzle is actually sounding dangerous!" Téa stated, concerned. "The Shadow Games. What are those? They sound interesting." Yugi asked. "See the carvings on the box?" Grandpa stated, pointing at the different symbols on the side, "It says, 'Whoever solves me, will receive my dark knowledge and power.'"

"I see." Yugi mused, "That means…MY WISH REALLY WILL COME TRUE! THAT'S IT! I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO FINISH IT!" Téa sweatdropped at the enthusiasm of her friend, and his grandfather just shook with frustration and concern. "RETURN IT, YUGI! IT'S-A PRICELESS ARTIFACT AFTER ALL!" Grandpa snapped trying to take the box away. "YOU'RE JUST THINKING ABOUT THE VALUE! NO WAY!" Yugi argued. Luckily, Mrs. Muto came in and broke up the fight.

_**Later that Night**__**:**_

Yugi was in his room in his light blue pajamas. At his desk, he took Satomi's advice and organized the different pieces into different piles and even created notes about them to help keep track of his process. Right now, he was tinkering with two parts, but they didn't fit. "No, I think they just block each other." Yugi thought out loud and continued working, writing notes along the way.

Outside the door to his room, Grandpa Muto spied on his grandson through the crack in the door. "He's still at it, even though it has been eight years? So stubborn, he really is my grandson." The elderly man thought to himself, "but the person who solves the puzzle inherits the shadow games. So it might be for the best if he never finishes that thing." With that, he walked back downstairs.

Back in the bedroom, Yugi had nodded and fallen asleep at his desk. At his hands, the puzzle had started to take form. Even though pieces were missing, it was starting to look like a golden pyramid. Then, the small pyramid began to glow a mysterious golden aura, almost as if something was beginning to awaken from a long, long deep sleep.

_**The Next Day, at School**_

Yugi was heading to the school when he heard various grunts and moans from the side of the school. Curious, he headed to the source of the sounds. When he turned a corner, he was horrified by the sight before him.

Joey and Tristan were hunched up on the ground, covered in cuts and bruises. "Ouch!" Tristan stated. Joey just struggled to stand up again but failed. "Joey! Tristan!" Yugi shouted as he ran up to the two boys only to be blocked by two members of the Disciplinary Committee.

"Well, if it isn't, little Yugi, just in time to see me wipe the floor with these bullies." Trudge stated. "What are you doing to them? Get back and leave them alone!" Yugi yelled. "I told you, I am your bodyguard, and so I've punished these bullies for you," Trudge stated with no remorse.

"No…No way!" Yugi exclaimed as he went to the two injured boys, "Are you alright, Joey, Tristan?" "Yugi, you little jerk!" Joey spat at him, "I can't believe you would stoop so low." "You're wrong! I would never ever ask anyone to do this sort of thing! I told you I hate fighting and violence!" Yugi tried to explain, hurt that Joey would even consider such a thing.

"Move, Yugi! We aren't done yet! Say your prayers, you scum!" Trudge said as he pushed Yugi aside and kicked Joey in the stomach. Without thinking, Yugi stepped in front of him and held out his arms to protect the injured boys. "Stop it right now!" Yugi shouted. Little did anyone know, they were drawing in a crowd, including Téa and Satomi.

"Who's going to stop me, a little squirt like you?" Trudge asked, "I don't think so, you better just step aside. Or better yet, this will be the perfect opportunity to get back at these guys, so you should punch these guys also." Needless to say, Yugi was repulsed by the suggestion. "No way! How can I do such a thing?" he argued, "And I won't let any more harm come to them, these guys are my friends!" this statement shocked the two girls in the audience and most specifically Joey.

"What a naïve guy! These weaklings were bullies that exploited you." Trudge added. "They weren't bullying me, Joey was just trying to toughen me up," Yugi explained, which shocked Joey even more.

"What a strange guy." Trudge mused, "Very well, but you owe me. Your bodyguard fee amounts to 100,000 yen." "WHAT 100,000 YEN?!" Yugi exclaimed in shock, then he gave his head a good shake and stood his ground as best he could, "NO WAY! I WON'T DO IT!"

Then Trudge gave a shrug and laughed. "Very well, tough guy! I'll give you some of the same, as you just went to the front of the line!" he said as he punched then kicked and then punched Yugi again. And just as Trudge was about to give him another punch, someone grabbed him by the arm and tossed over him their shoulder. The defender was Satomi.

"Now who's being a bully?" She exclaimed as she dusted herself off and placed her fists on her hips. "Yugi! Are you okay?" Téa asked as she kneeled down to his side to check on him. "Yeah, I'm okay," Yugi answered weakly.

"Let me ask you one thing, Yugi. Did you ask Trudge to be your bodyguard and do this?" Satomi asked. "OF COURSE NOT! I HAD CLEARLY TOLD HIM 'NO THANK YOU'!" Yugi exclaimed. "In that case, you don't own him a single coin." She said as she turned to Trudge, "Since Yugi had never hired you to be his bodyguard, there is no need whatsoever for the fee. So take your 'discipline techniques and GET!" then Trudge was starting to get a treacherous look on his face. Fortunately, a teacher came by and broke up the fight.

_**That Evening, at Kame Games**__**:**_

The whole thing was a mess, those involved were sent to the principal's office. After explaining their sides of the story, the principal had the injured treated in the nurse's office and had them sent home. Which was suitable for Yugi, since he couldn't face the day with the aches and pains he was feeling. So he figured, he should work on the puzzle.

He worked on the puzzle late into the night, using the notes he wrote along the way. Today felt different, he felt like he was actually going to finish the puzzle today. He was so absorbed with the puzzle, Yugi didn't notice a little brown puffball with green limbs hiding behind his bed as well as shadows floating around the room and a fierce storm brewing outside.

"What you can see, but have never seen. That's a puzzle." Yugi thought to himself, "You may be able to see it, but since it hasn't been completed yet, you have no clue on what it will look like. Geez! I'm so close too!" In frustration, Yugi scratched his head and ruffled his hair.

After settling down a bit, Yugi resumed his work. He took another look at the notes, then at some of the pieces, and after looking at a particular part, an idea came to him. "Oh! Now I get it!" he exclaimed and continued working.

Bit by bit, the puzzle was starting to come together. Pretty soon, one side was completed. "Hey, alright! It's a perfect fit!" Yugi exclaimed, "So, then this one should fit too! And maybe this one next."

Before he knew it, the Millenium puzzle took the form of an upside down pyramid and was one piece away from being complete. "Yeah, it's done! Just one more to go!" he exclaimed, barely containing his excitement, "Once I put in the last piece, it'll be complete! I've almost solved the Millenium Puzzle!"

"Whoever assembles me, shall be bestowed upon the wisdom and powers of the dark huh?" Yugi mused, "I'm about to finish the puzzle that Grandpa told will make my wishes come true. He's sure going to be surprised when he sees I've figured this puzzle all by myself."

He reached into the golden box, only to feel nothing. Horror started to set in as Yugi realized that the last piece, the goldeneye, was not in the box. He was so close, and it just had to be now he has a part missing.

For the next ten minutes, Yugi turned his room upside down to find that eyepiece, but to no avail. Then there was a knock on the door. It opened and revealed Grandpa Muto. "Yugi, I hate to interrupt, but…" he started to say, but then, he saw the mess, "What happened in here?"

Feeling defeated, Yugi sighed. "I'm sorry, Grandpa, I lost one of the pieces of the puzzle, and I was trying to find it," he admitted. "Oh! Is that all? I got it right here." Grandpa said as he held out a familiar goldeneye. "What? How?" Yugi exclaimed, "A tall blonde fella came over earlier and gave me this, said you dropped it," Grandpa said as he handed the puzzle piece to the shocked boy, "Just be careful with it and put this room back together." "Thanks, Grandpa!" Yugi said. And with that, Grandpa left his grandson to his business.

Excitement returned to his face as Yugi went back to his desk and held up the eye piece and the puzzle. "The last piece. This is it! And this makes the Millenium Puzzle complete!" Yugi said as he put the last piece in, then he immediately stood up and held the precious artifact in the air, "AWESOME! I DID IT! IT'S ALL FINISHED! THE MILLENIUM PUZZLE'S COMPLETE!"

Noticing the rope around the loop of the puzzle, Yugi decided to wear it like a necklace. Lightning clapped, startling the youth as the power went out. But Yugi just shrugged it off and held the puzzle to his heart. "O, Millenium Puzzle, please grant my wish. I want a friend. A best friend with bonds strong enough to link both of our hearts together…" he whispered in his most sincere voice.

Not knowing it, Yugi's grandfather had come to check on his grandson through a crack in the door. "Who would have guessed that he'd actually complete it…" Grandpa mused, "But whoever completes the Millenium Puzzle becomes the Ruler of Darkness. I may have unloaded a heavy fate on my grandson's shoulders." With that, he left the hallway, not noticing a layer of mist on the floor.

Then the puzzle started to glow. "Did my wish reach you?" Yugi asked. Then suddenly, the glow became brighter. "Hey! What gives?" Yugi asked out loud, suddenly getting a bad feeling.

Then with a great force, bursts of dark auras came from within the eye of the puzzle and then took the form of several various monsters. Despite the fear shaking his heart, Yugi instantly recognized them, they were monsters from the Duel Monsters Card game that he loves so much.

He heard a squeak from below and saw the little puffball from before. It was Kuriboh! But instead of the innocent, meek little creature he came to know and love, he was like a savage beast baring his fangs and pouncing on Yugi!

But then, the Millenium Puzzle grew even brighter than before. It surrounded Yugi as if taking over him and making him stronger. The boy had no choice, but to close his eyes and fade into the light.

A moment, later, Yugi stood with a golden eye glowing on his forehead. And when he opened his eyes, he had a different air about him, as if he was a different person. In fact, it was most possibly true.

He was taller, with sharper eyes with a slight red tint, and an overall more confident and commanding presence. The monsters paused for a moment at the youth's sudden transformation, but then resumed their assault.

Then the new Yugi grabbed hold of the Millenium Puzzle and commanded in a deep, commanding voice. "SHADOW CREATURES, BE GONE! I COMMAND YOU! RETURN FROM THE DARK REALM FROM WHENCE YOU CAME DARK DEMONS!" Yet another bright light filled the room, and the monsters vanished as if they were never there.

Once the light subsided, the Yugi from before stood alone in the room again. He looked around the room, wondering what he was doing just now. He'd lost his train of thought for a moment like nothing had happened. He couldn't even remember the monsters he saw.

_**The Next Day at School**__**:**_

"Did you hear? Trudge beat up some kids and even tried to blackmail someone under the pretense of it being a bodyguard's fee and got expelled for it!" a random female gossiped to her friends. "WHAT?!" They exclaimed. "Yeah, and now the Disciplinary Committee is suspended until further notice, and the teachers will handle things until then." She explained further.

As the group of girls continued to gossip, a familiar spiky head walked by with an upside down golden pyramid in his hands, wearing it like a necklace. "At last, my treasure is complete!" Yugi mused with pride.

"Yo!" a voice came from around the corner. "Joey!" Yugi exclaimed. "I want to apologize Yugi, I've been acting like a real jerk." The blonde teen said. "Oh! Were you acting?" Yugi teased. Joey gave a light laugh.

"I guess I deserved that one! If you ask me, I guess me and Tristan may have underestimated you." he said, surprising Yugi, "You know, Yugi, you're a tougher guy than I ever gave you credit for, maybe we should hang out more often." A bright smile appeared on Yugi's face, filled with hope.

"By the way, I've decided that I too should have a treasure," Joey announced. "Really? Let me see!" Yugi exclaimed in excitement. Joey gave a chuckle. "Sorry, but my treasure is also something that is seen and yet unseen." Joey explained, giving Yugi another confused look, "Just like friendship, we can see each other, but we can't see our friendship!"

Small tears welled in the corners of Yugi's eyes as he nodded in agreement. With all said and done, the two boys walked to the classroom. The puzzle did work for Yugi for he had found a friend. Little did he know, that he gained so much more. Much more…


	3. Duel 002

*Just so we're on the page, the dialogues are going to be a combination of the Japanese and English versions of the series.

*Both versions have their good points; the Japanese version is more accurate, while the English version is more personal in the bonds.

*So to get the best results, I'm currently watching the series in the Japanese versions and writing down the dialogues. Then I'll choose which ones will get dropped, which ones stay, and which will be a combo of both.

*Although I'm having trouble with the site I'm using to see the subbed episodes. If you know any websites that let me watch the English subbed version of the series, preferably without any pop-ups or ads interrupting, please let me know. (Kissanime, Crunchyroll, and Gogoanime are out of the question). I would really appreciate it.

_**Duel 002**_

_**Morning at Kame Games**__**:**_

"I still can't believe it..you finished the Millennium Puzzle." Grandpa Muto stated in astonishment, as he picked up the artifact from the breakfast table and examined it, "Unbelievable, since it was discovered, no one has ever solved it!"

Then suddenly, he placed a hand on his grandson's forehead. "Grandpa?" Yugi asked, confused. "Have you experienced any changes? Like you're suddenly smarter or stronger?" Grandpa asked. "No, why?" Yugi answered, more confused than before.

"The glyphs carved on the golden box said 'Whoever solves the Millenium Puzzle, shall receive my dark knowledge and power," Grandpa explained as he held up the puzzle. "Oh yeah! Actually, my wish came true, and I made some new friends!" Yugi answered with excitement.

"Friends?" Grandpa mused, "No, that can't be it. Dark knowledge and power, what does that mean exactly? I just hope nothing bad happens." No one can blame the old man for worrying. Little did he or anyone know, something big was going to happen and soon.

_**At School**__**:**_

Another day at school came to an end as the school bell chimed. "Finally! We're done!" Joey exclaimed, "Hey Yugi! Where should we go on the way home?" "I can't believe you two are buddies,!" Satomi exclaimed, "It was just last week, you and Tristan were giving Yugi a hard time." "Do you have to bring that up?" Tristan asked insulted. "I was just stating the fact on a positive note," Satomi stated.

"Well, how about we go to the new Burger World?" Yugi suggested. Satomi and Téa flinched at that suggestion. "Sounds good! I could use a good burger right now!" Joey exclaimed.

"Excuse me, did you say Burger World?" Téa asked nervously. "Do you want to come?" Yugi asked. "Bad idea!" Satomi exclaimed suddenly, "I heard that the food's not that good, and people have gotten sick from opening day!" "Really?" Tristan asked.

"Besides, haven't you heard that a thug is running around these parts and is blackmailing and stealing from people any chance he gets?" Satomi asked. "What are you, chickens?" Joey asked. "Hey! Better safe than sorry!" Téa stated, "Let's just be careful on the way home." "I got a lot of homework to catch up on anyway." Tristan said, "See you guys later!" With that, Yugi and Joey were the only ones left in the room.

"Have you noticed that those two have been acting weird lately?" Yugi asked. "Nah! They're just girls." Joey brushed off, "Let's head to Burger World anyway! We can handle a thug." "Well, alright! My Mom and Grandpa are out of town tonight, and I have a strong urge for a burger." Yugi answered with a sweatdrop. "Okay, Let's go!" Joey exclaimed.

_**At Burger World**__**:**_

The burger world restaurant was bustling with customers and staff wearing uniforms. Yugi and Joey were about to enter when they saw a familiar figure in front of them.

"Satomi?" the two boys said, jolting the girl straight up and turning around to face the boys. "Yugi…Joey…what are you two doing here?" she asked, acting odd. "What are we doing here? What are you doing here?" Joey asked, "Weren't you and Téa giving us grief about not coming here?" "Well, uh…" Satomi stuttered to find something to say.

"Well, if you're here, then it must be a bogus claim, and it is okay to eat here!" Joey concluded as he and Yugi walked past Satomi. "No! Wait!" Satomi shouted. But it was too late, and the doors opened.

"Hello, and welcome to Burger World!" Téa exclaimed wearing the staff's female uniform, "Two customers, right? Come on in for the juiciest…" "Téa?" the two boys shouted, making Téa realize who was in front of her. "Joey! Yugi!" Téa said. "Sorry, Téa! I tried to stop them." Satomi apologized.

Despite the shock, Téa turned around to hide the terror on her face. "Why are those two here? They could get me in big trouble. You're supposed to be 18 to work here," Tea thought to herself in dread, "And our school is so strict… if this gets out…I'll get expelled! And if my boss finds out that I'm still in High School, I'll be fired! And I won't be able to pay for my dance lessons! And it will happen since Joey has a big mouth!"

Moments later, the two boys and girl were sitting at a table with the female sending the boys a warning glare. Joey ignored the sight while Yugi sat with nervousness with his hands in his lap.

"So Téa's working at Burger World, huh? We just learned a juicy secret." Joey sneered in amusement. "This is bad! Téa looked, really mad!" Yugi warned. "Exactly, this is really important to Téa, so don't take this lightly and blab! Got it?!" Satomi warned. "Got it…" The two boys agreed in fear.

"You know Yuge, this is a great opportunity to get to know her better," Joey suggested shaking off the fear of Satomi's wrath. "You've known her since you were kids, right, Yugi?" Satomi asked in a more friendly note from before. "Yeah! She's always been very kind and hardly loses her temp…" Yugi started to say. But then a tray of hamburgers slammed onto the table, scaring the two boys.

"How do you like your hamburgers? Make sure you eat your meal with LOTS of Ketchup!" Téa said through gritted teeth. "What are you guys doing here? Are you trying to get me fired?" Téa interrogated. "Sorry. We didn't even know you worked here." Yugi stated. "Well, thanks a lot! Here have some ketchup!" Téa said as she squeezed out a bucket load of ketchup on the burgers, making the boys cringe with fear, "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you!" "Just consider the ketchup your blood if you blab," Satomi warned with a smirk on her face. "Blab about what? Yugi asked.

"You got a lot of attitude for someone waiting tables!" Joey snapped at Téa. "You think this is all I want to do with my life?" Tea asked, "Just wait until I graduate!" The boys blinked in curiosity at that statement.

"Well, it looks like I'm busted, and I'll have to find another way." Téa said as she turned to explain to the boys, "I'm trying to get money, so when I graduate, I can go to America." "America?" both boys exclaimed. "What for?" Joey asked.

"To study Ballet!" Téa answered. "Parking cars?"Joey asked. "Ballet, not valet, you nimrod!" Satomi snapped, whacking him across the head, "You know Swan Lake, Giselle, Nutcracker?"

"Don't laugh. I'm…going to study dance in New York! And I'm saving money for it!" Téa answered, closing her eyes dreading the boys' reaction. A pause of silence hanged in the sir, but not even a cough was heard. Téa opened her eyes in puzzlement.

"You're not laughing?" Téa asked, confused. "There's no way I can laugh. Why would we? It's your dream, right? You oughta be what you wanna be!" Joey stated. "That's cool! That's really cool! We'll root for you, Téa! Just follow your dreams!" Yugi exclaimed. Téa sighed in relief, perhaps even a slight tear in the corner of her eye.

"So, Satomi…how long have you known about this?" Joey asked. "I've happened to found out about her secret a week ago when I came to check the place out." Satomi answered, "She explained her situation, and I've been helping hide her secret since then."

"We're sisters at arm with our situation," Téa added. "Oh?" Yugi mused. "I'm also in the same boat as Téa as I help out with my brother's company," Satomi stated. "Technically, I think family employment is allowed with our school," Yugi added. "Touche," Satomi said as she sweatdropped at the apparent difference between the two girls' situations.

"How many brothers do you have?" Joey asked out of curiosity, "You mentioned a younger one before." "Two. An older one and a younger one." Satomi answered. "What kind of job do you do have at the company?" Yugi asked. "I mostly dabble in secretarial work, human resources, and research and development," Satomi answered. "What kind of place does your brother got?" Joey asked. "Like Yugi's grandpa, my brother works in the gaming business." "Small world, huh?" Téa added.

"What do your folks do for the company?" Joey asked, "Like the head honchos?" "Actually…my parents have been gone a long time now. It's just been my brothers and me." Satomi answered solemnly. Looks of shock appeared on the other youths faces. "Oh…Sorry…" Yugi said. "Yeah, I don't know what to say…" Joey added. "that's okay…" Satomi said, shaking off the nostalgic sadness weighing her heart, "So what about you, guys?" so the four friends spent the next hour getting to know each other better. Little did they know, someone was close by, with a greedy smirk on his face.

_**Several Days Later at School**__**:**_

Classes were about to begin, and Téa and Satomi were at their lockers to prepare for the first class. Téa opened her school slipper locker and saw a note on top of her slippers. Curious, she picked up the letter and a look of shock spread across her face.

"What's wrong, Téa?" Satomi asked, concerned. Looking over her shoulder, Téa motioned Satomi closer and showed her the note. "I'll be waiting in the gym equipment room. If you don't come, your secret will be revealed." Téa read out loud in a whisper. As if knowing what was on the other side, Téa flipped the note over to reveal a photo of her in her work uniform.

"It can't be…" Téa said, "I can't believe Joey and Yugi really blab!" "Just a second Téa! Let's not jump to conclusions." Satomi said, trying to sedate her friend's anger. "How can you defend them so quickly?" Téa snapped. "I'm saying it can't be Joey or Yugi." Satomi explained, "Look at the date of the photo, it shows it was taken the day before those two found out. And I remember that picture frame in the background, it's at the other side of the restaurant from where they were the other day."

Téa took another look at the photograph and realized Satomi was right. "So if it wasn't Yugi or Joey, then who is it?" Téa asked, concerned. "I don't know, but you're not going to find out alone," Satomi said. "You don't have to do this." Téa insisted, knowing that this might be dangerous. "I know!" Satomi said back, pretty much screaming she wasn't going to back down and not help her friend.

_**In the Gym Equipment Room**__**:**_

Téa slammed opened the door and marched right into the room, with Satomi following suit. "Alright, whoever you are! Come on out, or you're going to have a shiner the size of a basketball!" she warned. "And I'm warning you! I got a black belt in Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, and Judo!" Satomi advised getting into a defensive stance. "Really?" Téa asked, surprised. "Hey! There are many different things you don't know about me Téa, and when you have a background like mine, you need to be able to defend yourself and those you care about." Satomi stated.

Then the door closed behind them. The girls turned around and saw a bespectacled man in a green tracksuit, but it was apparent that he wasn't part of the school staff. "Keep Quiet!" the stranger warned, "If you don't want me to report your part-time job, you'll do something for me. If you don't want to be expelled, do what I say. And you can start by handing over all the money you got, and no one will get hurt!" the thug threatened.

"You think the two of us are just going to stand by and just let you threaten us?!" Téa snapped. "Did you not hear about my black belts, a minute ago?" Satomi reminded. "You aren't in any position to negotiate!" the thug warned getting closer, "gimme all of your dough and make it quick!"

Then the door slammed opened again, revealing a familiar spiky head. "Téa! Satomi!" Yugi called out as he tackled the thug, "What are you doing to them?! Get away from them!" "Get lost!" the thug shouted and knocked Yugi into the jumping horse stacks.

"Yugi!" Téa cried as she tackled the thug and bit him in the arm, causing the brute to cry out. And Satomi got him into a headlock, but the thug was still stronger. "Get off!" the thug yelled as he pushed the girls into a wall knocking them unconscious.

Then a bright glow came from the puzzle and enveloped Yugi. The thug sneered at the two unconscious girls, wondering what to do with them. He was about to touch them when an authoritative voice brought his attention.

"Turn and face me, you coward! Let us see how bold you are when someone stands up to you!" the youth demanded. It was the other mysterious Yugi! "If you have enough time to do something so pathetic…you have some time to play with me." the changed Yugi announced. "What?" the thug asked.

"If you're courageous enough, why don't you play a game with me?" Yugi asked, "Come play a little game now, and you will learn your fate." "A game? Are you crazy?" the thug asked again.

"It's a game I think even you can understand. Each player takes a Duel Monsters card from the top of the deck…" Yugi began to explain as he held out a Duel Monsters deck, "…and the one with the weaker card loses the battle. The winner goes free, and the loser will be claimed by the Shadow Realm!" "Are you nuts? Gimme a Break." The thug said not believing a word of this. "Oh, scared, then?" Yugi baited.

"Afraid? No way!" the thug answered as he drew the card from the top of the deck. He observed the card he drew and gave a loud laugh. "I've drawn the mighty Curse of Dragon! Let's see you beat this card! Its points are really high!" the thug exclaimed.

Not shaken by the stakes at all, Yugi drew the next card with his eyes closed as if he had absolute faith in the card he had in his hand. Then a winning smile spread across his face as he revealed the card to the thug. "And I've drawn the Dark Magician! So I win!" Yugi exclaimed.

The thug shook with anger and humiliation at being beaten so easily. But then he shook all that off with a laugh. "You think this is a game? Enough! We're gonna fight like men! It's high time to teach you a little lesson about life, you spiky nut job!" the thug shouted.

"Oh, really? I don't think so. MIND CRUSH!" Yugi called as he held out his hand, and a strong force came from him. The thug stopped in his tracks and then collapsed on the floor, unmoving. "Why don't you take a while to reflect upon your own evil?" Yugi asked.

Then the two girls stirred awake. "Téa. Satomi. Are you two, alright?" Yugi asked as the girls woke up. "You two don't have to worry about him anymore." The girls blinked ponderingly at the boy who looked so much like their friend, yet seems so different now.

Téa closed her eyes and shook her head to shake off the remaining dizziness. And Satomi closed hers while slapping her face with both hands. When they opened their eyes again, Yugi was standing there looking innocent as before, looking quizzingly around the room and saw the thug on the ground.

"What just happened?" he asked. "We were about to ask you the same thing," Satomi said as she and Téa got back on their feet and brushed themselves off. "All I know is that creep knocked me down and the next thing, I'm standing up while he's on the ground," Yugi answered.

"So, you don't remember what just happened?" Téa asked. "No," Yugi answered. Téa looked at the boy she knew most of her life. In all the years they have known each other, she never considered him to stand up to a dangerous thug by himself or have a definite air of confidence.

"Whatever just happened, we need to deal with this jerk and somehow keep Téa's secret!" Satomi exclaimed. "Right!" Yugi stated as he began spitballing ideas with Satomi to handle the situation. Meanwhile, Téa kept pondering about her friend's earlier appearance. It was as if he was a different person. She shook her head, figuring that the drama of these last ten minutes must have made her imagine things. So she just went with her friends to figure out the next move. Little did any of them know, something big was coming, and it will change their lives and the lives of so many other people…forever.


	4. Duel 003

*In case anyone was wondering, the Shadow Realm is still going to be a concept in this fanfic. You see the Shadow Realm was created to erase the notion of death in the English Dub. In the situation with the characters getting physically or magic not necessarily being present, there won't be a Shadow Realm mentioned. However, in scenarios where magic and the unexplained is existing, there will be a Shadow Realm. It will all depend on what works. I hope this will erase any future confusion.

*Also, set the dates fans, because I'm following PrincessMewMew's example for her hit Black Butler fanfic, The Demon's Bride, and posting my new chapters every two weeks. So, my next chapter will be on June 15th! Please be patient and look forward to my works!

_**Duel 003**_

_**At Domino High, Break Time**__**:**_

"Hey, Joey! Earth to Joey!" "Yugi called out. "Hey, are you in there? It's your turn, Joey!" Yugi and Joey were seated across from each other at a pair of desks put together front to front, playing a card game with a game mat spread out on the desks.

"Hmmm…?" Joey ponders to himself, debating which card to use. "Awww, isn't he cute when he's thinking!" Tristan exclaimed affectionately putting Joey in a half-hearted neck-lock. Then he looked over his shoulder, and his curiosity got peaked. "Hey! What are you doing Joey?" Tristan asked. "Hey there, Tristan! Yugi here's teachin' me how to play the Duel Monsters game." Joey said, showing the cards in his hand to his friend. "Drooling Monsters?" Tristan asked. "Duel Monsters, ya nimrod!" Joey snapped, "Don't tell me you don't know about Duel Monsters?" Joey asked. "What's that?" Tristan asked. "Quiet! Sit back and watch!" Joey exclaimed as he pushed Tristan away towards Satomi and Téa.

"Sheesh!" Tristan scoffed. "It's a card game that started in America and really took off in the Third Grade," Satomi stated. "They have been at it for hours! Joey is starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like a real expert!" Téa stated, "You strategically organized your Monster and Spell Cards to built a deck and then battle."

"Alright! I'm ready! It's time to duel!" Joey exclaimed as he slapped the Kagemusha of the Blue Flame card on the mat. "See, each card has an offensive or attack number and a defensive number," Téa explained, "And the first one to eliminate his opponent's Life Points wins!" Téa explains more.

"Pretty good move, huh, Yugi?" Joey bragged. "Yup, Pret-ty good move…" Yugi said. "All right then, Yugi, it's your turn," Joey said. "Okay, my turn, huh? How about this one? Attack!" Yugi exclaimed with a sneaky grin and play the Blackland Fire Dragon card, "Sorry, Joey, but your good move was not, good enough!" Yugi exclaimed. "What?! Thanks a lot, Yuge, a card like that totally wipes me out!" Joey complained, "I mean, you threw out that card like it was nothing! A strong card like that ends my game right there!" Joey complained.

"Whoa, you stink at this game, Joey!" Tristan said. "You're too weak, Joey!" Téa stated. "Come on, guys! He's new at this, give him a break!" Satomi said, "Besides strategy, a good assortment of cards, and the luck of the draw are three parts of the game."

"Ahh, you did fine Joey, it's not that I'm a strong player," Yugi explained to Joey, who is inclined back in his chair looking displeased, I just have better cards. You see, my grandpa owns a game shop, and I get all my best cards from him."

After hearing that, Joey immediately slammed his hands on the desk, stood up, and leaned towards Yugi. "Yeah? Your own game shop? What're we waitin' for? Let's go! After class, let's go over to your place!" Joey suggested. "Sure!" Yugi agreed with a laugh.

_**On the Streets**__**:**_

After school was out for the day, the five friends headed towards Kame Games. In a limo, a boy with brown hair and dark blue eyes took notice of the group walking down the street, especially in the girl with partial braids. "What is she doing in this part of town?" the boy thought to himself.

"I can't wait to see what cards your gramps has!" Joey exclaimed. "Me too!" Téa added. "Me three!" Tristan said. "And me four!" Said Satomi.

"Yeah, Maybe I can even get my grandpa to show us his pride and joy, this super-rare card he's got!" Yugi said. While the others exclaimed in excitement and anticipation, the boy in the limo overheard what Yugi had said.

"Super rare card? He couldn't mean…or could he?" the mysterious boy thought to himself, "Could they have found the card that I've been searching for?" He asked.

_**At Kame Games:**_

After some time, the gang had arrived at Kame Games and went through the door, setting the doorbell to chime. "Hey, Gramps, I'm home!" Yugi announced. "I see you brought some friends today." Grandpa Muto stated as he stood at the shop counter. "Yeah, you've already know Téa, and this is Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Satomi Takeuchi." Yugi introduced to his grandpa. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Muto!" The three new friends greeted.

"So Gramps, could you show everyone your greatest card, your awesome, super-rare card? "Rare card! My special card?" Grandpa exclaimed, "Oh! You mean that card." Grandpa stated. The elderly man held his bearded chin in thought for this request. "Please! Please!" Yugi begged. "Please show me! Pretty please?" Joey pleaded as he bowed. "Aw! How can I say no? I can't refuse!" he exclaimed.

He then pulled out a small wooden box from behind the counter and began to open it. "You youngsters are in for a real treat here; I don't get this out often, it's my treasure. Ready? Here it is!" he announced as he held up the card. Shock spread on Satomi's face as she recognized the card. It was a mighty silver-blue dragon with blue eyes.

"This is Blue-Eyes White Dragon! This is one super ultra rare card! It's so rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands!" Grandpa Muto exclaimed. "Awesome!" Joey said in awe. "Cool!" Téa said in astonishment.

Tristan however, was still skeptical as he plucked the card from Grandpa's hand and flapped it around in curiosity. "So this is it, huh? Hmm, doesn't look that special to me." Tristan said. Grandpa's jaw dropped, and his eyes nearly popped out at the young man's careless actions. The other students just sweatdropped at their friend's heedlessness, and Satomi facepalmed herself.

"Ahh!" Grandpa exclaimed as he snatched back his card, This is one of only four existing cards in the world. Its value is incalculable! This card is priceless!" "Alright, speakin' a' priceless, I'm ready to trade, Gramps! Joey said. "Not for this card! I can't sell this!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Huh? Nah, I didn't mean that card. I couldn't afford that one anyway. I meant some other really strong cool cards that have come in lately to get me started." Joey said.

Then the bell on the door jingled again, bringing attention to the front. "Ah! Welcome! Can I help you?" "If you cant, it certainly wouldn't surprise me." The mysterious boy from before said arrogantly, holding a metal briefcase. "That's…" Joey said. "Seto Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed. "Kaiba?!" Joey exclaimed. "Seto?" Satomi asked in puzzlement.

"What's the son of Kaiba Corp CEO doing down here?" Trista asked, "Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run?" "Not that it's your business, but I came to see the card!" Kaiba stated rudely, "I heard that Yugi's Grandfather was a card maniac! So surely he had a card worth my time." Kaiba answered. Satomi buried her face in what seems like embarrassment.

"Hey! Are you into Duel Monsters too?" This is Perfect! You can play with us too! We can all duel together sometime." Joey said. "Me duel someone like you? I would have more of a trial playing Solitare." Kaiba stated as he approached the group, "I hardly think you qualify." "What?!" Joey asked in bewilderment. "I am the number-one ranked duelist in the country and the favorite to win the Duel Monster championship. I'm skilled enough to take first in the national Duel Monsters Championship. You and I are on completely different levels. Heh, you wouldn't last even two minutes in a duel against me." Kaiba said.

"What was that?! It sounds like you're talking just to hear your own voice!" Joey stated rearing for a fight, "Maybe you'd like to settle this with fists instead of cards!" "Whoa, take it easy, Joey, Settle down!" Yugi said as stood between the two boys. "But Yugi, Kaiba's askin' for it…" Joey said, but he decided to back off, reluctantly, "Man, I hate that kid!" Joey complained.

Not taking any more of his attitude, Satomi went up to Kaiba and whacked him across the back of his head, shocking everyone. "Do you always have to act that way towards everyone you meet?!" she interrogated, "As the eldest, you should know better than to be disrespectful towards others! I'm just glad Mokie isn't here to see this!" "Do you always have to hit so hard!" Kaiba complained. "If you continue to behave this way to my friends, then yes!" Satomi answered.

While the two bickered, the others blinked in perplexity. "Do those two know each other?" Téa asked. "It seems like it," Yugi answered. "Who cares! It's refreshing seeing Kaiba getting told off by Tomes!" Joey exclaimed, holding back a hearty chuckle at the scene before him.

"So, does this shop have any worthwhile cards lying around or not?" Kaiba asked, brushing off Satomi's berates. Then Kaiba notices the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card in the little box. "What?" he exclaimed as he shoved Yugi and the others aside, ignoring their protests. "It can't be, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, in a dump like this?!" Kaiba exclaimed, "How did it end in a place like this?"

Kaiba then started to break into a sweat as he stares at the card, his hand poised over it. It is! The card I've been searching for!" he thought to himself, "I've never thought I'd lay eyes on the real article!"

Breaking the tension, Grandpa Muto claps the lid of the box shut. "Well, enough, window-shopping. Time to put it away! This one is not for sale! Is there anything else you need, young man?" Grandpa asked.

Grunting in discontent, Kaiba lifts his briefcase above the counter and slams it on top of it, startling Grandpa. He then opened it, flips it around, showing the contents inside, thoroughly impressing the man. "Listen to me, old man. Give me your Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, and I'll trade you all of these!" Kaiba offered. Inside was many cards neatly stack on top of and beside each other. "Whoa!" Everyone else except for Satomi and Grandpa said, flabbergasted by the cards inside. "Ah, nice. But no thanks." Grandpa rejected. "Huh?" everyone else, including Satomi exclaimed.

"Ugh, fine. If you won't trade, then you'll sell it. Go ahead, name your price; I can pay anything you ask." Kaiba said. "Kaiba wasn't it? While I'm sure, you could. But you see this card is worth more to me than you could ever offer, not because of its power, or because of its rarity, but because of what this card means to me. It was given to me by a very dear friend, and so I treasure this card as I do that friend. I now hold it in almost as much value as I do that friend. No matter what I was offered, I could never part with this card! So I'm sorry, but parting with it is completely out of the question!" Grandpa explained. "What did you say?!" Kaiba exclaimed. "No!" he thought to himself.

"You would feel the same even if it were a weak or a common card, right, Grandpa?" Yugi asked oblivious to Kaiba's fury. "Exactly. You see, this card has bonded with my heart. A treasure one values this much has a heart of its own." Grandpa said. "Fine! I've heard enough of your nonsense! Thanks! Senile old fool!" Kaiba huffed as he shut his briefcase shut and storms out. "SETO!" Satomi yelled as he slammed the door. And he took off in the limo.

At the speed of light, Satomi turned towards everyone and toad bowed. "I am so sorry, everyone!" she apologized, sincerely, "Seto was way out of line!" "Why are you apologizing for an absolute jerk like Kaiba?" Joey asked, confused. "Hey! That's my brother you're talking about!" Satomi exclaimed as she jumped to her feet.

"YOUR BROTHER!" everyone exclaimed in shock. "Yeah, Seto is my elder twin brother," Satomi said. "Oh I see, I can get the resemblance now," Yugi said. "I take it he's the evil twin?" Joey asked. Satomi grunted in disapproval at Joey's statement. "Just a joke!" Joey exclaimed holding up his hands in defense.

"You see, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon has been Seto's favorite Duel Monster ever since he discovered the game. And he's been searching for the cards for so long." Satomi explained, "But that was no excuse for how he acted." "I see…" Grandpa Muto mused. "Before Seto came in, I was going to see if I could trade any of my cards to get it for him, but after hearing how much the card means to you, I can't ask you for it." Satomi said further as she made a fist over her chest as if to grip something, "I know that there are items that have strong sentimental value and can never be replaced."

"That's understandable, Satomi." Grandpa said, "But you shouldn't take your cards so lightly. Just like the Blue-Eyes is precious to me, the cards you have are precious to you as it has your Heart of the Cards." "Heart of the Cards?" Satomi asked. "It's a concept that Grandpa came up with." Yugi answered, "It means that when one works hard to construct a deck, and you have absolute faith in it, you can pull off the most impossible of victories." "Really?" Satomi mused. "That sounds contradictory of what my brother believes."

_**Outside of Kaiba Tower**__**:**_

As the limo from before headed towards Kaiba Corporation Headquarters, Kaiba fumed over what happened at Kame Games. "Heart in the cards, ridiculous! These cards are all about power, nothing else, and one way or another, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card…will be mine! I will get that card for myself! Just wait and see!" Kaiba thought to himself.

He arrived at the Headquarters as a group of men with his butler greeted him. "Master Kaiba, we have required the remaining three cards." A short butler informed. "Then the old man's card is the last one we need," Kaiba stated. "Yes…," the butler agreed. "Gentleman, there's a little something I'd like you to pick up for me at the game shop," Kaiba stated. "Gladly, Master Kaiba!" the butler said.

_**At Kame Games**__**:**_

Yugi had just gone to school, and things were slow at Kame Games until some suspicious figures in suits approached outside. Inside, Grandpa was tending the shop by wiping down the counters while the doorbell jingled. "Good mornin'. Come on in!" Grandpa greeted as he turned around.

But he soon became wary as he saw his visitors, they definitely weren't customers. There were three men, two wore sunglasses and black suits like they came out of the Men in Black movies. In the middle of these two, was a short, bald man with orange lensed pince-nez glasses and a broad face. He approached the elderly man with an invitation.

"My Master, Seto Kaiba, has challenged you to a Duel Monsters duel. You will come with us now, Solomon Muto." The butler said. "And if I were to decline?" Grandpa asked. "I'm afraid we must…insist. We'll use force if you don't," the butler said with a chuckle. "That young Kaiba doesn't understand, but I'll teach him a lesson about the Heart of the Cards!" Grandpa thought to himself. With that, he left.

_**Later**__**:**_

Soon it was after school and Yugi, and the gang minus Satomi were heading to the Game shop again. "I've told you that card was the coolest," Yugi exclaimed. "Got that right!" Joey agreed, "Man, I hope he has some cool cards today!" "Me too!" Yugi agreed. "Yeah!" Téa and Tristan said.

Soon they arrived at Kame Games and opened the door, jingling the bell. "Hey Gramps, I'm back to get more cards!" Joey announced, but no one answered, "Hey! Hey, Gramps!" "Grandpa, I'm home!" Yugi announced. But still, no one answered. "Maybe he…went out?" Téa asked. "Perhaps, but why would he leave the door unlocked? That's careless!" Joey added.

"Oh, Yugi! Thank goodness you're home!" Mrs. Muto came out from behind the shop, which leads to their home. "Mrs. Muto?" Téa asked. "Mom? What's wrong? Where's Grandpa?" Yugi asked. "I don't know, some men in suits came in and took your grandfather somewhere." Mrs. Muto answered, very concerned, "Grandpa said not to worry, but I still am."

Then the phone started to ring, causing some people to jump from the tension of the situation. After taking a breath of relief, Yugi went up to the phone and answered it. "Yes, hello, Kame Game Shop." Yugi greeted.

"Yugi!" Satomi yelled on the other side of the phone. "Satomi?" Yugi stated. "Your grandfather's at Kaiba Corp Headquarters! My brother is challenging him to a duel right now, and he's not doing so well! I'm afraid he's going to get a stroke if this keeps up!" Satomi spoke rapidly over the phone. "What do you mean, Satomi? Calm down!" Yugi exclaimed over the phone. "I've tried to stop him, but my brother won't listen! You got to get over here and help your grandpa! We're on the top floor! I'm really, really sorry…" she said as she hung up. Without a moment to lose, the gang rushed to the rescue.

_**At Kaiba Tower:**_

__By the time they arrived, the sun was showing its final rays of light before setting for the day. The gang ran into the building and crowd into the elevator and rode it to the top floor. When the doors opened, the first thing they saw was Grandpa on the floor, Satomi at his side trying to help him up. "Grandpa! Grandpa, a-are you okay?" Yugi asked as he ran up to him. "I'm so sorry, Yugi! He did his best, but the way they dueled was too much for him to handle. But don't worry, I've already called an ambulance. They should be here any minute now." Satomi said.

Despite how weakened he was, Grandpa propped himself on his elbow. "Yugi, I failed you. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba about the Heart of the Cards, but I lost. Ugh…" Grandpa exclaimed, and collapsed on the floor again. "Grandpa!" Yugi exclaimed.

"You're a little late!" Kaiba stated in the doorway opposite of the elevator, "How's the old man feeling, hm?" Satomi sends a furious glare at her brother. "Kaiba! You sleaze! What've you done to him?!" Joey demanded.

"We've dueled, that's all, with each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize. I guess the virtual stimulator I've invented was just too much stimulation for the old man. But I guess it could have been that playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool." Kaiba explained. "SETO!" Satomi snapped.

"Kaiba! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Téa exclaimed as she pointed an accusing finger at him, "You must have cheated!" "Never! It was fair." Kaiba answered. "As much as I would hate to acknowledge it in this situation, my brother may be many things, but a cheater is not one of them." Satomi deadpanned, "Bully and poor sport, definitely!"

"And as proof, look at the sweet card prize I've won!" Kaiba announced as he held up the Blue-Eyes Cards and then suddenly ripped it cleanly in half! Everyone in the room gasped in shock. "That's Grandpa's most valued and treasured card!" Yugi exclaimed, most devastated by Kaiba's action. "After all that fuss, why rip it up?!" Satomi demanded to know.

"Yes, Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare and mighty card. And this final one will never be used against me." Kaiba explained tossing the two halves of the cards aside, "Since a single deck can only hold three of these cards, the fourth could become an enemy. So…" "The fourth…?" Yugi asked.

"Ah! My…my Blue-Eyes White Dragon! M-my treasure!" Grandpa exclaimed raising a shaken hand towards the damaged card, but then collapsed again. "Grandpa! Hold on! Hang in there! How could you do such a thing?!" Yugi demanded.

"Yugi here! Take this!" Grandpa said weakly, as he held up a deck of Duel Monsters cards towards his grandson with a shaky hand. "Huh? Grandpa…!" Yugi said. "I built this deck, and I put my soul in these cards! I've used this deck in my duel with him. I did lose, but my soul is in these cards. And I have taught you everything I know, Yugi. You have it in you to beat that boy. You can show him the Heart of the Cards! Take them! Take my cards and teach him respect, Yugi! Show Kaiba respect for the Heart of the Cards!" Grandpa said. "But Grandpa, you need to get help, I've got to get you to a doctor…" Yugi exclaimed, "I can't just leave you like this Grandpa…" Yugi said.

"Sounds like an excuse. Either way, I like it! You want to avenge your grandfather? I'll take that challenge!" Your friends can take care of your grandfather, while you and I duel. Unless you're afraid…?" Kaiba challenged.

Yugi trembled in rage as he stared down Kaiba, yet he was also wholly terrified as he was on the verge of tears. "Take 'im Yugi! Battle him, Yugi!" Joey exclaimed, making Yugi turn around in surprise, "We can take care a' your Grandpa while you take care of Creepy Kaiba! Leave your Gramps to us! You do what he said! Show Kaiba what a real duel is. Make him pay for what he's done! Teach that rich stuck up spoiled brat what a real duel is all about!" Joey exclaimed. "Fight him, Yugi! For your Grandpa!" Téa added. "Normally, I would support my brother, but not in this case." Satomi said, "Beat him so hard, he can't tell his left from his right!"

"You guys…I don't know…," Yugi said. "Trust me, you're, like, the best player I have ever seen. Besides, you're the one who turned me around when I was a fighter and a troublemaker. You can do this, Yugi! I know ya can!" Joey exclaimed. "We all do," Téa added.

Inspired by his friends' encouragement, he nodded and accepted his grandfather's deck. "Okay, I'll do it, Grandpa!" Yugi said. "I know you will, my boy. I'm counting on you, Yugi!" Grandpa said.

"Everyone, put your hands together in a circle, and I'll mark us with a special sign," Téa exclaimed as she held up a black marker and put the right hands of the five friends in a circle as she drew a smiley face on the back of them, a piece of it on the back of each. Look! It's a symbol of our friendship!" Téa stated.

"Huh?" Everyone aside Téa exclaimed. "What is this? What gives, Téa?" Joey asked nonplussed. "As I said, it is a symbol of our friendship, so when Yugi is dueling, no matter how tough it gets, he will know that he's not alone, we're all right there with him!" Téa explained, "The ink is impermanent, so it will wash away before long. But we'll always remember this circle of friends!" Yugi nodded in agreement and went off to face Kaiba.

As Yugi prepared for his duel, the others rushed out to get Grandpa to the Ambulance with the old man on Tristan's back. Just before they opened the ambulance, Téa turned to face Satomi and Joey. "Joey, Satomi! Tristan and I will take care of Gramps and take him to the hospital. You go and support Yugi! Get back in that building and cheer him on!" Téa said. "Um…actually, I should probably just go with you to the hospital, I have a foot in both camps if you know what I mean," Satomi added. "Good point, just Joey then!" Téa said. Okay! Take good care of 'im, you three!" Joey exclaimed.

Back at the top of the tower, Yugi and Kaiba were standing on different platforms, each with consoles to play the cards. They were in a stadium that was about the size of two basketball courts side by side. Above in the center was a light fixture that held a scoreboard with Yugi and Kaiba's names with the number 2000 beneath them.

"I designed this virtual Duel Monsters stadium myself, impressive, mm? I think you'll agree, it adds more life to the game." Kaiba said as the two platforms came above the field, "We'll play by the special Kaiba rules. We each begin the duel with two thousand Life Points; the first player to hit zero loses! Virtual system on! Are you ready to play runt?" Kaiba said. "Playtime is over, Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed.

Then suddenly, the Millennium Puzzle around Yugi's neck begins to glow, and then shakes and sways on its own. Yugi's mind went blank, and the light becomes brighter as the words, "YU-GI-OH!" echoed in his head. As the light fades, a Yugi that radiates power, confidence, and strength is left on the platform.

"Ah…! What the?!" Kaiba exclaimed as the boy in front of him is no longer timid, shy kid, whom he had challenged. "I'll beat you, Kaiba! I put my grandfather's deck on it!" the mysterious Yugi exclaimed, "Now Kaiba, prepare yourself because it's time to duel!"

"Virtual systems ready, so let the duel begin, Yugi! I'll take the first turn! I attack with the mighty Hitotsu-Me Giant! Brace yourself, Yugi, you've never dueled like this before!" Kaiba explained. The fixture in the ceiling glows as a column of green light appears in one of the spaces in the floor in front of Kaiba. Then a green giant with a single eye materialized, a few yards taller than the platforms the two Duelists were standing on.

"Huh? He has brought the monster on the card to life! It's taken on real form" Yugi exclaimed. "This is my virtual Stimulator!" Kaiba exclaimed with pride, "It creates lifelike holograms of every duel monster!" "So this is what you've used to beat my Grandfather!" Now it's my turn! Wing Dragon Guardian of the Fortress! Attack!" Yugi exclaimed.

Then a sky blue dragon as big as the Hitotsu-Me Giant appeared on Yugi's side of the field. Joey then runs into the stadium and stops in his tracks when he sees the two giant monsters about to battle. "Wha…?! Wow! What is this!" Joey exclaimed, "Monsters? Real monsters?!

"Fireball Attack!" Yugi ordered the Dragon. The Cyclops roared in pain as Yugi's Dragon attacks and hits it with a fireball straight in the chest. Kaiba steels himself against the attack, shielding his face and holding onto the railing on his platform as the explosion shakes it. "Big Brother! Are you alright?" a young boy with long black hair and blackish eyes asked in concern as he rushed to the sidelines on Kaiba's side of the field. Thanks to that attack, Kaiba's Lifepoints have been reduced to 1800. "Alright! Go Yugi! Well done!" Joey exclaimed.

"Ha. Well-played, Yugi, for a beginner. I should have started with a handicap this size anyway." Kaiba stated as he drew a new card and smiled in confidence, "But how will you deal with this? I'll attack with this card!" Kaiba announced. Then a jester-like clown appeared on the field. He was wearing puffy bloomers and sleeves, striped tights, a pointy hat, and silly purple boots and gloves. His face was similar to that of a scary Picasso painting.

"Saggi the Dark Clown? That card has hardly any attack strength. Its Attack strength is nothing!" Yugi stated. "True, your Winged Dragon's Attack is 1400, while my Dark Clown is only 600, but if I combine it with this card…" Kaiba explained. "Ah! A Magic Card!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Exactly. The Negative Energy Generator will multiply my monster's Attack by three!" Kaiba explained as the Dark Clown gets larger and scarier as its Attack Points are now 1800 which is four hundred more Attack Points then the Winged Dragon. "Saggi the Dark Clown, attack right now! Attack with Dark Light!" Kaiba ordered.

The Dark Clown threw a black orb at the Dragon and destroyed it. With this, Yugi's Life Points dropped to 1600. "How's that? See the destructive power of a combo attack? As you see, combining cards can be very effective." Kaiba said.

"He's good. He knows every aspect of this game! But my grandfather, the Game Master, poured all his Duel Monsters knowledge, his whole heart into assembling this very deck, I have to believe it holds some secret strategy." Yugi thought to himself. He drew a new card and looked at it, but is perplexed, it was only a right leg and nothing more. "Huh? This card is useless. I can't beat Saggi the Dark Clown with this card. I'll have to counter by defending with another monster in Defense Mode. The monster will be sacrificed, but my total Life Points will be safe." Yugi thought to himself.

Without much to go on, Yugi sets a card on the field, which just appears as a glowing light on the field. "Dark Light Attack!" Kaiba yelled. Again, Saggi threw another black orb at the monster, which was a monster known as Sangan. In frustration, Joey slams his fists on the stone rail. "What are you doing? Hang in there, Yugi!" Joey exclaimed.

One by one, the Dark Clown defeats Yugi's monsters. Yugi was not faring well. "You're not doing any better than the old man did, Yugi. In fact, your near dead grandfather left that deck, it's just as weak and feeble as your grandfather!" Kaiba stated cruelly, "I can practically hear his dying breath coming from those cards!" Kaiba said.

"My Grandfather is a Great man and a far better duelist than you will ever be! He has entrusted me with his cards, and I can feel his heart in this deck. I can still hear the passion of his spirit in them. Kaiba, does your deck have the power of your faith? I doubt it does!" Yugi said. "Wha?" Kaiba said, seeming uncertain for a split second.

"But I believe in my Grandfather's cards!" Yugi exclaimed as he drew another card and a triumph smile spreads across his face. "And the power of my faith rewards me, with Gaia, the Fierce Knight! With a destructive power of 2300! I attack your Dark Clown!" Yugi exclaimed.

A Knight riding a purple horse, with a red lance in each hand charged at the Dark Clown and destroyed him. Causing Kaiba's Life Points to drop to 1300. "Way to go! You did it, Yugi! Keep it up!" Joey shouted.

"All right, Kaiba, your move. The battle isn't over yet!" Yugi exclaimed. "Oh, but the ending's already decided!" Kaiba stated. "This'll be over sooner than you think." With that statement, he drew a card, and a triumph smile came on his face.

I call on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba exclaimed. And then the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared, even more, majestic in person, roaring to show its sovereignty over many monsters.

"Huh? There's no way!" Yugi exclaimed. "Impossible! We all saw Kaiba tear that card in half!" Joey exclaimed. "Surprised? Did you really think your grandfather was the only one to have a Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Kaiba gloated. "Attack Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" the dragon roared, and a blue-white fire came from its mouth and destroys Gaia. With that, Yugi's Life Points were reduced to 900.

Gaia, the Fierce Knight, is destroyed! Faith or no faith, you will crumble before my nonpareil monsters, Yugi. Power is what this game is really about you, fool. Faith is for has-beens, like your pathetic grandfather!" Kaiba bragged as the dragon defeated monster after monster, "I believe in taking what you want by any means necessary! I have two more Blue-Eyes in this deck! There's no way you can win! Do you plan on continuing to play the defensive until you're all out of cards? In your entire deck, there is not even a single card that can stand up to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! So what chance do you have against two of them? I'll pull my second Blue-Eyes!" another Blue-Eyes appeared on the field, which was just as regal as the first and as devastating. "Why don't you just admit defeat Yugi?" Kaiba said, leaving Yugi silently glaring at the grim situation.

_**At the Hospital:**_

At Domino Hospital, Grandpa Muto was on a Gurney wearing a breathing mask with Téa, Satomi, and Tristan jogging along aside him with the doctors. "Yugi…Yugi…Don't…give up…Yugi!" Grandpa moaned feverishly.

_**Back at Kaiba Tower:**_

"I won't give up on my grandpa! He's counting on me!" Yugi declared as he drew a new card, and it was one he needed, Ah! A Spell Card, the Swords of Revealing Light! It stops all monsters on the opponent's side of the field for three turns." Swords made of light then appeared high above the two dragons and stabbed down around them like the bars of a prison cell. With that, they couldn't move an inch. "What a waste! It's desperate! What good would a three turn delay, do you?" Kaiba asked mockingly.

Thinking over, Yugi looked over the cards in his hands. "Kaiba is right! What do I do? I can't see the meaning of the three cards I have. I can't figure out what I can do with these cards! They're just a bunch of different pieces. How can I use these cards to battle an expert like Kaiba?" Yugi asked himself.

"This isn't like you, Yugi. For someone who claims to have faith, you're giving up too easily." A familiar voice called out from nowhere. Yugi looked over his shoulder and for some reason, saw a ghostly figure of his grandfather.

"Listen. Everything in this world has meaning. Sometimes in the game, the cards are like a puzzle. You have to put all of the different pieces in their proper place. Just like the Millennium Puzzle, you've struggled so hard to assemble.!" The vision of Grandpa Muto explained. "Ah, like the Millennium Puzzle?" Yugi asked. "Oh, yes! Exactly, each piece of the puzzle helps to build a greater entity. Just as you put those pieces together, do the same for the cards!" Grandpa said as he started to fade away into the darkness.

"Grandpa!" Yugi cried out, reaching out a hand towards the retreating figure in the dark. "Like the pieces of a puzzle, Yugi! Remember!" Grandpa's vision called out.

"Puzzle?! When are the cards like a puzzle? Wait…! Grandpa once said…" Yugi thought to himself, "Exodia… this deck couldn't contain Exodia, could it?"

Then he remembered what Grandpa told him one night while he was still learning the game. "Duel Monsters contains only one undefeated monster, Exodia the Forbidden One. But he can only be officially summoned by drawing all five individual cards and are placed together. A deed that to this very day, no one in the world has ever accomplished. Grandpa had explained.

"It's your turn! Quit your stalling and draw your next card!" Kaiba exclaimed impatiently, snapping Yugi back to reality, "Will forfeit the match?" Kaiba said. "I never forfeit!" Yugi said as he drew another card, which was a left arm. "Huh? That makes four of the five cards! Another piece of the puzzle!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Go ahead, draw any card you like, it won't change a thing, Yugi! My dragons may be immobile for another two turns, but my new monster is under no such spell! Judge Man, with an Attack Power of 2200!" Kaiba exclaimed. The troll-like monster with formal attire smashed a spiked club on the defense monster, destroying it. Yugi winced at the blow and drew a card he knew by heart.

"I can attack with my Dark Magician. But he won't stand a chance when Kaiba's dragons are free of my spell!" Yugi thought, "If my only other choice is to hold the defense with the Dark Magician only to be destroyed by Blue-Eyes. I might as well attack the Judge man straight on!" the magician in purple attire was summoned prepared to battle. I'm gonna attack! Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi ordered. The spellcaster released his power and destroyed the opposing monster, leaving Kaiba's Life Points to 1000. "Your Judgeman falls!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Oh…A sacrifice that doesn't even faze me, Yugi! Your seal is only effective for just one more turn, and neither monster can move. And the card I've pulled is my third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba exclaimed. Yugi became panicked as the third dragon came in roaring. "Now my dragon, attack! Attack Dark Magician!" Kaiba ordered. The Dark Magician went down quickly as Yugi was now at 400 measly Life Points.

"So indulge me, Yugi. How's your faith now? On my next turn, all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons are free to attack." Kaiba gloated, "So Yugi, draw your final card! Next turn, three Blue-Eyes will attack you altogether! The game's over, no matter what you'll draw! You can't possibly stand against all of my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. It's over now, Yugi; you were never a match for me!"

"Don' Listen! Hang in there, Yugi!" Joey shouted, not losing faith in his friend. "Kaiba had the other three Blue-Eyes this whole duel! He only wanted Grandpa's Blue-Eyes so it couldn't be used against him. "If these are the five cards needed to summon the god Exodia…. Then my only chance now is to assemble all the pieces of Exodia. But the odds are against me. I don't think I can do this…! The odds I'll pull the right card on my last turn are too low!" Yugi thought to himself.

As Yugi went to draw his final card, he noticed that the deck seemed to move out of his reach. "Are the cards rejecting me? Are they sensing my doubt?! No, it's just me, I'm afraid to draw the wrong one!" Yugi exclaimed. For a second, two Yugi's were seen, and the meeker one was shaken. "Don't lose focus, Yugi, don't lose faith! Concentrate!" the taller Yugi said, seeming to try to calm the smaller Yugi.

Then he noticed something on his hand. "Huh? What's the mark?" Then he recognized it, "Our Friendship Symbol!" Yugi said.

Then a vision of his four friends, forming the four-fifths of the symbol appeared. "A symbol of our friendship. Yugi, we're all right here with you." The vision of Téa said. "Yugi! You're not alone! You've got to believe in yourself." the image of Tristan said. "This ring ties us all together! You can do it! Just kick Kaiba's butt!" The apparition of Joey added in. "This symbol will also give you strength! As much as I love my brother, please teach him the power of heart!" Satomi exclaimed.

"They're right, I've got to believe in the Heart of the Cards like my friends believe in me!" Yugi said, "Thank you! Everybody…, I'm not afraid anymore!" with that, he drew his final card.

"Draw your last pitiable card so I can end this duel, Yugi!" Kaiba said, "Did you finally lose hope and decide to pull any card?" "Not quite! I have my hope right here in my hand! For my Grandfather's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba. But it does contain…the unstoppable Exodia the Forbidden One!" "Aagh! What the…?! Impossible!" Kaiba exclaimed.

"I've assembled all five needed individual cards, all five pieces of the puzzle. Yugi exclaimed. He placed all five cards accordingly, and a five-pointed star appeared. From it, the chained pharaoh like beast appeared, hissing at the three smaller dragons.

"No way! It's…It's Exodia the Forbidden One! I-it's not possible! No one on this planet has been able to call upon him! You're saying you've performed a miracle?!" Kaiba exclaimed, really freaking out.

Then Exodia concentrated a ball of energy in his hands. "EXODIA…OBLITERATE!" Yugi called out. Exoida threw the ball at the dragons, and it blew them away. Kaiba gave out an ear piercing scream as he was obscured from the golden light, and the Life Points went all the way down to zero.

"Ya did it! Yugi wins! Yugi, you won!" Joey cried in pride. "No way…my big brother lost? This can't be! My brother never loses!" the young boy said in disbelief.

"You duel only for power, Kaiba, and that is why you lost. But if you place your heart in the cards, there is nothing you can't do." Yugi stated, "No matter how strong your cards are Kaiba, without heart, they're meaningless. When you link your heart to the cards, miracles can happen!" "That's ridiculous! How can I lose?! How could I have lost to him?!" Kaiba asked no one in frustration.

"Kaiba…if you truly want to know….Open your mind!" Yugi exclaimed as a golden eye appeared on his forehead, "This will crush the evil in you! MIND CRUSH!" Yugi exclaimed as a power exerted from him.

Something seemed to have shattered as Kaiba seemed more human and less shaken. Having no strength, he collapsed on his knees. "There, Kaiba. Maybe now you will begin to see now that the evil plaguing your mind has been crushed to bits!" Yugi said.

_**At the Hospital:**_

Back at the hospital, Satomi felt a slight jolt in her chest as she staggered a bit. "Are you okay, Satomi?" Téa asked. "Yeah, I just got dizzy there for a second," Satomi answered.

Then Grandpa suddenly opened his eyes. "Grandpa's awake! He's regaining consciousness!" Téa exclaimed. "Yugi…Yugi won." Grandpa said, shocking the three youths, wondering how he could possibly know that.

_**In a Dark Room:**_

In a dark room, a lone figure with long white hair with strands concealing a golden eye on his left, holding a wineglass sat. Then an individual appeared in the light behind him.

"Master Pegasus Sir! Seto Kaiba of Kaiba Corp, our undefeated champion, has been defeated in a duel sir…by someone named Yugi!" a suited man informed. "Hmmm…" Pegasus mused as his golden eye sparks ominously as he smiles. Whatever this news meant to the man, it would inevitably lead to trouble.


	5. Duel 004

*Just for the record, I'm going to attempt to make my story more modern, just so there's no confusion.

*I also want to give an exceptional thanks to the for the English Transcripts for the Series, the descriptions are so detailed and accurate, it's really inspiring! Thanks once again!

Duel 004

_**Domino High School, Break Time**_

It was another day at school, and the students were enjoying their recess. Some were reading magazines, while others just chatted. With Yugi and the others, Téa and Joey were facing each other in yet another Duel Monsters game.

"Joey, make a move already!" Tristan exclaimed impatiently. Feeling confident, Joey played a card. "Kay! Here you go Téa, Miss Tough Guy! My Rock Ogre Grotto is gonna rock ya block off!" Joey bragged.

Not even sweating, Téa Flip Summoned her monster. "Yeah, Happy Lover's 500 Defense Points against Rock Ogre's 800 Attack Points Téa! Like that wimpy little card has a chance against my giant rock guy! Just give it up!" Joey exclaimed. A broad goofy grin spread on his face as he was sure victory was his.

"Okay, my turn." Téa stated calmly as she placed a Magic Card with a cloud blowing a strong wind from its lips, "Guess I don't stand a chance unless I play my Breath of Light card." "Huh? What's that? Can she do that?" Joey asked Yugi who was acting as the referee in this duel. "Oh yeah! The Holy wind of the Breath of Light card wears down rock monsters. Reduces them to rumble!" Yugi explained.

"Huh?" Joey exclaimed, realizing that he was beaten yet again. "That brings your Life Points all the way down to zero, Joey! Once again, I win! You lose, and I rock!" Téa remarked. "Man you stink at this game!" Tristan exclaimed. "Ugh…!" Joey exclaimed collapsing on the desk.

"By the way, has anyone seen Satomi around lately?" Téa asked as she looked around the room. "Oh yeah, we haven't seen her much since my duel with Kaiba," Yugi stated.

"Think she's feeling awkward about being around Yuge since her brother was slaughtered?" Tristan asked. "TRISTAN!" Téa and Joey bellowed at their impervious friend for his statement, causing him to flinch.

"Let's just talk to her when we see her and explain that we don't have any ill will towards her because of her brother." Yugi surmised. "Agreed!" everyone said.

_**After School**_

After school, students were headed about their after-school routines. Meanwhile, Yugi and Joey were at a pair of chin-up bars, hanging about as Joey was deep in thought. "Tristan's right, Yugi, I do stink. I can't win at Duel Monsters even to save my life!" Joey exclaimed, "What is it Yugi? Why can't I ever win? Teach me what I'm doin' wrong!"

"Well, let's start by checking the cards in your deck, Joey!" Yugi suggested as he jumped off the bar, he was sitting on.

"Huh? Kay! Here ya go!" Joey said, surprised by his friend's suggestion, but handed his deck to him. "Ah, Thank you!" Yugi said. "Pretty nice lineup, don'tcha think?" Joey boasted as Yugi began skimming through the cards.

As he did, his face grew more and more concerned, and his eyes got bigger. "Hey! What you've got here!? No one could win with these! Joey, your deck's filled with nothing but aggressive Monster cards!" Yugi exclaimed.

"You've got it! I've packed it with every butt kicking monster there is! At least the ones I could find." Joey exclaimed, proudly. "But that isn't good at all! That's not how the game works!" Yugi said. "huh?" Joey said, confused.

"Duel Monsters is all about taking your monster cards and combining them with spell cards to increase your strength. Combining's Important! With no Spell Cards in your deck, your monsters will get creamed every time!" Yugi explained.

"Huh! See! That's exactly the stuff I need to know! Yugi, ya got to help me out! Ya gotta help me learn more!" Joey pleaded as he gripped his friend by the shoulders.

Then they saw Satomi walking towards the school entrance. "There she is," Yugi said. "Hey, Tomes! Wait up!" Joey called out as he and Yugi ran towards her.

"Oh, …hey guy!" Satomi said nervously, looking as if she was trying to find an escape route. "Don't even think about moving from this spot!" Joey advised, "We need to talk!" "We do…?," she asked.

"Satomi, are you avoiding us because of what happened with your brother? Are you mad at me for beating him?" Yugi asked. "No! I'm actually glad you taught my arrogant brother about humility. I really am!" she reassured, "I'm just so ashamed of what he did, I couldn't bear to face you guys."

"Hey! You're not your brother! We like you for you!" Yugi said. "Yeah! Just because your brother was being a creep, doesn't mean we don't think of you as a friend!" Joey added. "Thanks! But Joey, if I can ask a favor, please keep the insults about my brother to a minimum? He's still family after all." Satomi remarked. "Oh alright...but only for you, Satomi." Joey agreed begrudgingly.

"Hey, wait a minute! I just realized your brother's last name is Kaiba, while yours is Takeuchi." Yugi stated. "Umm…your folks wouldn't happen to be divorced, would they?" Joey asked nervously. "No, they were devoted to each other before they had to part," Satomi stated sadly. "Oh yeah, you and your brothers are orphans, right?"

Satomi nodded in response. Their deaths were the starting point of Seto's behavior. Joey and Yugi looked at each other in confusion. "If it's not too hard for you, could you explain?" Yugi requested. "Well, …okay." Satomi agreed as they began to leave the school grounds. After taking a breath, Satomi started her story.

"At first, we were just a normal middle-class family. Just me, Seto, our little brother, Mokuba, Mom, and Dad. But not long after Mokuba was born, Mom passed away from complications. To support us, Dad had to work harder than before. Seto and I helped around the house to make things a little easier, but it never seemed like enough. And exactly five years after Mom died, Dad died in a car crash caused by the other party's drunk driving, almost as if he was following Mom." Satomi began. "Whoa…" Joey said heavily.

"There were no other relatives to take us in, so we were sent to an orphanage, and it was not a pleasant place. The staff was neglectful, and most of the boys there were bullies. It was especially hard for Mokuba since he was the smallest. There was nothing for me and Seto to do except be there for him. Then one day, Gozaburo Kaiba, the previous president of Kaiba Corporation, came to the orphanage for a publicity stunt. Determined to get us out of there, Seto challenged him saying he will adopt us if he won, which he did. He really should have picked the parent better. That man was anything but fatherly. He treated Seto like a slave, sculping him to run the company, and ignored Mokuba and me because I was a girl and he was the runt. Eventually, Seto overthrew Gozaburo, and he disappeared, but he rubbed too much of his brutal ways on him. Since then, Seto has been cold to others and cares nothing except being number one in everything. The brother I knew was no more." Satomi said, "I wanted nothing to do with that horrid man, so I kept to my original family name."

After she finished, a stream of tears flowed from Joey's eyes. "That's got to be the saddest story I've ever heard!" he sobbed. "it is a sad story, but if you're thinking that's no excuse for what he did, you have the right of it. He's even gone so far as to assault defenseless old men! Which reminds me, I need to apologize to your grandfather as well, Yugi!" Satomi remembered.

"Well I was thinking of taking Joey there, you can come with us as well." Yugi said, "And don't worry, it was not your fault." "Thanks, Yugi," Satomi said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. With that, they went to the shop, dragging a still weeping Joey along.

_**At Kame Games**_

"Grandpa's the true game expert in the family. Maybe he can help." Yugi said as they approached the store's entrance. Inside, Grandpa Muto was putting up a poster of some kind. "Hey Grandpa, I'm home!" Yugi called out. "How was school?" Grandpa asked.

"Hey there! So how's everything going with you, Gramps?" Joey asked. "Look at me! I'm all well now! Do you plan on buying some more cards today?" Grandpa asked as he stepped off the stepladder. "I just came to apologize for what my brother put you through," Satomi said sincerely. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it, it all worked out in the end," Grandpa reassured, relieving Satomi of her worries.

"Me, on the other hand, I've come to have you train me in Duel Monsters," Joey answered. "As you can see, Grandpa, I've brought you a new student," Yugi explained. "I was hopin; since you know about Duel Monster more than anyone, maybe you'd teach me," Joey added.

"Teach you? Duel Monster is a very complex game." Grandpa said. "Yeah, tell me about it! Téa beat me three whole games in a row today!" Joey said. "Actually, Téa beat you five times in a row, Joey!" Yugi corrected. "Five?! Aw, Man!" Joey complained. "Hey! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Satomi stated.

"But what made you such a devoted duelist?" Yugi asked. "Yeah…" Satomi pushed. "Um…Let's see…Huh?" Joey tried to explain. Then he caught sight of the poster, it was a promotion of an upcoming Duel Monsters tournament. Grandpa caught sight of the sign, and a realization hit him

"you don't think you're going to win this tournament, do you, Joey? That's a hallucination that won't happen!" Grandpa exclaimed. "You'll never know!" Joey said with confidence. "So you want the prize of three million yen?" Grandpa interrogated. Joey flinched, knowing he was spot on.

"Well is that so joey?" Yugi asked. "Your dad's still making your financial situation unstable?" Satomi asked, knowing about her friend's situation. "Please, Yugi, I want to win the tournament really really bad!" Joey pleaded. "But you don't even have a month until the tournament starts!" Yugi pointed out.

"Allow me to help you." Grandpa Muto offered. "You mean it, Gramps?" Joey asked. "Yeah! Grandpa is a great duelist despite how he may look." Yugi stated. "Despite how I may look?" Grandpa said, "Yeah, but I'm a pretty tough trainer!" "Yes, sir! I appreciate it!" Joey stated. "Oh boy…" Satomi said under her breath.

"Hmm…yes, I can teach you to be a distinguished tournament Duelist, but only if you're willing to spend never-ending days and sleepless nights filled with rigorous training!" Grandpa stated. "Aw, piece a' cake!" Joey tried to reassure. "With that attitude, teaching you might not be worth the effort I have to give!" Grandpa warned.

Panic starts to set in Joey as he knows that Grandpa is reconsidering. "Nice goin' there, smart-mouth!" Yugi said. "Please Yugi! Help me convince 'im! I will work hard, I promise!" Joey begged on his knees.

"Listen, Joey, teaching you about Duel Monsters is too big a task, even for my Grandpa!" Yugi said, baiting his Grandpa. "It's not…impossible." Grandpa grudged. "Huh? You mean it, Gramps?" Joey asked. "Joey, Grandpa, already said he can't do it, and if he can't do it, he can't do it." Yugi gloated his grandpa.

"I never said I couldn't do it, I said it's not impossible." Grandpa corrected, "But if I agree, you must work hard!" "I'll do anything! I promise, I promise!" Joey exclaimed.

"Hmmph. Fine, then we'll begin your training immediately, my young friend, and believe me, under my tutelage, you will learn!" Grandpa exclaimed as he cracked his knuckles, "And I will start by changing your attitude, so you don't want to win for the prize! You need to learn the Heart of the Cards!"

"Now! Can you name the most strongest Duel Monster?" Grandpa asked. "Uhhh…no," Joey answered. "Can you name the weakest?" Grandpa asked again. "No-o-o…" Joey responded back. "You do understand what a Trap Card is, don't you?" Grandpa asked yet again. "Kinda…I…I have no idea." Joey answered yet again.

"We have a long way to go." Grandpa sighed as he began to teach Joey different strategies. "Here! One more time!" Grandpa ordered as Joey play the tactic again and again.

_**At the Regional Championships**_

"Good evening ten million Duel Monsters fans and welcome to the Regional Championships at the very first Duel Monsters Duel Dome, where tonight, the Duel Monsters Regional Championship will be decided! Final championships will be decided soon. Of the two-hundred duelists that have strived in this long-winded tournament, only two competitors remain standing. Who is going to stand out at the hem of the District Preliminaries?!" An announcer announced.

"The Championships were taking place in a giant stadium similar to what Yugi and Kaiba used for their duel. But unlike that duel, the stadium was filled with screaming fans, anxious to see the next Duel Monsters Champion. Then suddenly two podiums appeared from the walls and on them were the two finalists who will face each other for the crown.

"Here come the finalists! Put your hands and cards together for Weevil Underwood, the Bug Brawler! Representing East Japan, fourteen years old!" the announcer introduced. Weevil Underwood was a short boy wearing a nasty little grin and had short light blue hair that resembled a beetle at best. He had big round yellow glasses and a large green jacket that seemed rather big for him.

"And his opponent, the number one ranked Rex Raptor, Dino Duelist, representing West Japan, fifteen years old!" the announcer broadcasted. Rex, on the other hand, was just as short as Weevil. He had wild brown hair with purple bangs, was wearing a bright red cap on his head. He wore a green shirt with a khaki vest and was itching to get this duel started.

_**At Yugi's Living Room**_

Back at the Muto residence, Yugi and the Gang were in the living room, watching the Championships on the television. "Bug-Boy vs. Dinosaur-Breath? What kind of duel is that that should have been me in there!" Joey complained. "It would be me dueling there now if everything had gone well!" "But you've done well, Joey. Look on the bright side, you've made it to the quarterfinals!" Téa reassured. "That's no small feat for a beginner!" Satomi stated.

"That's true!" Joey stated. "I'm proud of you! The training was pretty tough!" Yugi said. "It was, but still, I wished I had done better!" Joey complained. "I know you've been training really hard for weeks, but those guys are in another league, you're just not ready yet," Téa said. "Baby steps, Joey, baby steps," Satomi said.

"Sure, rub it in!" Joey retorted as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "And on top of that, you're so worn out you can't keep your eyes open." Yugi stated as Joey starting snoring, "I think Grandpa's lessons have been a bit too tough for him…"

Flashing back to an earlier lesson, Joey was shuffling a deck again and again until the cards slipped from his hands. "Ugh…Grandpa, I can't…so tired…must rest…" Joey complained as he collapsed on the table. Grandpa was standing next to the table, holding a wooden sword, and he was not looking pleased. "Oh, yes, you can! You have no time for rest!" Grandpa yelled as he slammed the wooden sword on the table. "Waaaah!" Joey woked with a start. "Did you come here to study Duel Monsters or did you come here to catch up on your snoozing? Joey, you'll never be able to play in the tournament with this attitude of yours!" he exclaimed.

Back to the present was still snoring and Tristan leaned in close. "You were only a finalist in the town preliminaries. " Tristan pointed out. But Joey just grumbled in his sleep. "Ya see, it's true what they say…" Tristan said in a whisper and then became louder, "You snooze, you lose!" Joey awoke with an annoyed groan as Satomi and Téa laughed at the boy's commotion.

"Ugh! I must have been nuts to think I could ever learn this crazy game! I'm too ashamed to see Grandpa, who trained me so hard!" Joey sulked, hanging his head low. "I've heard my name," Grandpa said as he came in carrying a box. "I'm sorry, Gramps!" Joey apologized. "Don't worry, Kiddo, you've done your best!" Grandpa said, surprising Joey.

"To be honest, I didn't think a wimp like you could even enter the tournament at all. You did a remarkable job, son! I know you've been training long and hard, but you really are coming along as a duelist. And I'm quite proud of you." Grandpa said. "Gramps, thank y…!" Joey said with tears in his eyes, and he lunged to hug Grandpa. But he just moved out of the way.

"By the way, Yugi, you received a package!" Grandpa said as Joey falls off the couch and lands on his face. "A package? What is it, Gramps? Who's it from?" Yugi asked. "Oh! I don't know. It just came in the mail. It doesn't say who just where." Grandpa answered.

"Huh? Really now? I wonder what's in it?" Yugi asked as he accepts the package and read the address, "It's from Industrial Illusions!" "Industrial Illusions? That's the company that made the Duel Monsters game! Why in the world would they be sendin' a package to you, Yugi?" Joey asked as he climbed back onto the couch.

"I have no idea, is it probable they had heard I beat the world champion?" Yugi asked. "You mean my brother?" Satomi asked. "Yeah. It wasn't an official duel or anything, but Kaiba did drop out of the tournament because of me." Yugi said.

"He's not only dropped out of the tournament, he just disappeared," Satomi stated. "What?" everyone asked. "He just up and left for who knows where. I think he needed some space to rethink about his way of doing things, at least that's what I hope. It's just Mokuba and me now. And he's taken his disappearance pretty hard." She explained further.

"Say Yugi, why didn't you enter the tournament? I'm sure you would have easily won the championship." Joey inquired, changing the subject. "I've made up my mind! I will enter a tournament only if he's in it!" Yugi said. "Who Kaiba?" Téa asked.

"Yeah! Now that Kaiba understands the Heart of the Cards, I want to face him again in a proper duel!" Yugi explained. "You know you can't trust a jerk like him. Just hearing that Kaiba's name gives me a headache!" Joey grumbled. "HEY!" Satomi snapped, causing Joey to fall backward.

"Whoa! Guys! Be quiet! It's about to start again! And Raptor just stomped Weevil!" Tristan said. "These guys any good? Who do you think is gonna win, Yugi?" Joey asked. "Oh yeah. They're both pretty tough customers. Let's see…Weevil Underwood specializes in insect cards, and he's a great strategist. He likes to do combo attacks using Insect cards combine with armored ones. Then you have got Rex Raptor and his dinosaur type cards, he uses their Megaton power to overwhelm his opponents." Yugi explained.

"Itsy-bitsy bugs against dueling dinosaurs? There's no question! Rex is gonna take this one all the way! He's got this one in the bag!" Joey said. "I wouldn't be so sure…" Yugi stated as everyone continued to watch the screen.

_**Back at the Regional Championships**_

"Alright, Weevil! So far, you and I have remained tied. This will decide! Consider yourself…Dinosaur Chow!" Rex announced. A giant purple dragon-like creature with two heads and horns appeared on the field. "Rex has thrown the strongest rare card of the Dinosaur type, Two-headed King Rex! Looks like this duel could be over, right here, right now! With the Two-Headed King Rex in place, it looks like this duel is all done!" the announcer said.

"Play! Your move!" Rex exclaimed. "Heheheheh, and all I have is this feeble little bug, so this will be my card!" Weevil said. Then a grasshopper or cricket-like creature appeared on the field. "On this side, Weevil is countering back with basic insect!" the announcer said.

_**Back at the Muto Residence**_

"Look at the weak little monster he'd just played. Rex is definitely winning this one! I mean, he plays a wimpy card against a giant dinosaur? The whole place will be covered in bug guts!" Joey said. "Maybe, but I think Weevil Underwood's laying a trap, so I wouldn't underestimate him!" Yugi said.

_**Back at the Championship**__**:**_

"Thanks! Attack King Rex! Let's take this championship! Stomp 'em!" Rex ordered. "Heheheh, you just said 'attack' didn't you? That word activates my Infinite Dismissal! You've walked your way into my trap! But then…how could your tiny walnut-sized dinosaur brain know, when an enemy attacks, my vortex activates!" Weevil announced.

"Oh, no! It's a Trap Card!" Rex exclaimed. "King Rex is caught in a space-time whirlpool and can't move!" Weevil said, "Which totally traps your King Rex in its inescapable embrace!"

A whirlwind appeared from the floor, and King Rex is trapped inside it, unable to move. "Oh no! My King Rex!" Rex cried out.

"Now it's my turn. While he's trapped there, I'll enhance my Basic Insect by giving him armor with Laser Cannon Level 5!" Weevil said as two large cannons appeared on the shoulders of the insect, increasing his attack strength. "Not such a puny little bug after all, hmmm? Attack!" Weevil ordered.

The insect fired the cannon on the dinosaur squared in the chest, and it flinched in pain from the blast and the electricity that came with it. Rex could only cry out as his monster disappeared, leaving him with no Lifepoints.

"And King Rex is demolished! Or should I say…extinct " Weevil announced. "Whaa…! I can't believe it! Beaten by a bug!" Rex muttered. "A shocking upset by Weevil Underwood, our newest champion!" the announcer stated, "I repeat, it has just been decided, and today's winner is Weevil Underwood! Weevil's podium was lowered to the floor, and he held up his deck with victorious pride.

_**Back at the Muto Residence**_

I can't believe Weevil just won! I mean, man, King Rex squashed by an insect?!" Joey exclaimed as he leaned towards the screen. Everyone was equally surprised.

_**Back at the Championship**_

"And now, an outstanding award for our new champion! Our victor, Weevil Underwood, will now be presented with the Winner's Duel Monsters Championship Trophy and the reward money! Here to present these rewards is the honorary CEO of Industrial Illusions Inc and the ingenious inventor of Duel Monsters. Ladies and Gentlemen, Duel Fans, and fellow Duelists, I give you Mr. Maximillion Pegasus!" the announcer announced.

In one of Weevil's Trap Card Spaces, a trapdoor opened up, and from an elevator platform, the very man himself had risen, holding a golden trophy with the numerous dollar bills inside. The audience applauded at the sight of the man who made the game possible. He walked over to Weevil, who was indeed starstruck.

"Many congratulations!" Pegasus said. "Uh…Thanks a lot!" Weevil said bashfully, blushing underneath his glasses as he accepted the trophy. "And as Regional Champion, I humbly invite you to participate in a bold new tournament I'm hosting. I will grant you full entry into the Duelist Kingdom!" Pegasus said. With that, Weevil fainted.

_**Outside the Duel Arena**_

As the tournament came to a close, Pegasus's car went out of the stadium and cruised along the city. Inside the vehicle, a plan was starting to brew. "Master Pegasus, with the announcement that you made tonight, we'll have thousands of duelists flocking to the Duelist Kingdom." The aide informed, "It looks like we won't have any trouble finding plenty of elite duelists to participate."

"I must be quite honest. None of the duelists, we saw today in the tournament really excited me. I hope for better results in the Duelist Kingdom. An event such as this will hopefully bring forth those who possess the Millennium Items I seek. Which reminds me…your errand" Pegasus said. "The package has been delivered to the boy, just as you have ordered, Sir." The aide answered. "It that so? Excellent!" Pegasus mused.

_**Back at Yugi's House**_

"Ha! With all the exhilaration of the Championships, you forgot to open your package, Yugi! I'm itching to know what's inside!" Grandpa said. "Oh, right! What could it be?" Yugi asked as he opened the box. "Huh?" everyone said as they peered inside.

Inside was a red glove with a thick metal wristband with ten star-shaped holes. There was also a plastic case containing two small stars and a black DVD. "What is this? Some kind of glove?" Téa asked. "And stars?" Joey added.

"Could it be part of the Duelist Kingdom Tournament that was mentioned on TV?" Satomi speculated. "I bet there's an explanation on the DVD," Tristan suggested. "On the DVD?" Yugi asked as he picked it up. "Well, play it and see. Just pop it in and check it out." Joey advised. "Okay," Yugi said as he inserted in the disk in the player.

Everyone gathered around the screen to see whatever the content was. After a moment or two, the static cleared and a face the gang just saw appeared. "Hello there! It's a pleasure to meet you, Yugi-Boy! I am Maximillion Pegasus." Pegasus greeted.

"Hey, that's…Pegasus?" Joey said. "We just saw him on TV." Téa finished. "It's the inventor of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus!" Grandpa said, "The Famous Maximillion Pegasus sends greetings to my Yugi?"

"I am sending this as a personal video letter to you Yugi." Pegasus said, "I have heard some terribly interesting things about you, Yugi." "Huh?" Yugi said, feeling puzzled.

"Your impressive defeat of young Seto Kaiba fascinated me so much, I've decided to explore your exceptional dueling skills for myself. Right here, and right now, we shall hold a singular duel. The rules are as follows, we play with a strict time limit of fifteen minutes. Life Points are set to 2000. And when the time's up, the player with the uppermost Lifepoints will be the winner! Sound good? Are you ready?" Pegasus explained.

"Wha?" Yugi said, even more confused. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Satomi dreaded. "Wha?! Does he expect you to play against a pre-recorded video?" Joey asked, "He can't seriously expect you to fight a duel against a video!" "How stupid! That's crazy!" Tristan stated.

Oddly enough, it was if Pegasus heard their comments. He looks straight at them, a few strands of hair revealing the strange goldeneye. It begins to shine as the screen dithers as Pegasus's words were heard without saying anything. "No…It's magic!" Pegasus thought out.

Then everything becomes dark, and everyone was no longer in the living room. And everyone was frozen and lifeless, everyone except Yugi. "Grandpa! Joey! Tristan! Téa! Satomi!" Yugi exclaimed, fear starting to set in, "Everything's grown dark and cold, and the others aren't moving at all! "What in the wide world have you done to them?! Where have you taken us?!"

"Hmhmhm. Those mortals would only get in the way! We are no longer in the world, you know. But I will return you…after our game! Shall we begin, Yugi-Boy?" Pegasus said. "A Shadow Game?" Yugi exclaimed, "Then it's time to duel!"

Then the Millennium Puzzle glows again, and Yugi's mind blacked out as the words "YU-GI-OH" rang in his head as the light enveloped him. And once the light lessened, the otherworldly Yugi appeared again. "then I will surely face you, Pegasus!" The darker Yugi challenged, "Start the clock and make your move." "Certainly. Let the duel begin!" Pegasus exclaimed.

A game set appeared in front of them, and the countdown from fifteen begins. "I'll take the first move! That's it, Now it's your turn, Yugi." Pegasus said as he placed a card in one of the Spell/Trap Zones, "Nervous, Yugi-Boy? You should be. You have never confronted a duelist like me before!" "you may be good…" Yugi said as he finished drawing his cards. "I assure you I am…" Pegasus said. "But I will defeat you to save my friends!" Yugi said.

"I'll use this card!" Yugi announced, holding up a card about to slap it down. "You won't save anyone with that Koumori dragon card," Pegasus said as his left eye gave a golden glow. "What?! How…?!" Yugi exclaimed.

"I told you you've never confronted anyone like me before. I knew you'll use that card even before you drew it I know every move you'll make before you can even make it!" Pegasus exclaimed. Yugi could only glare at Pegasus, realizing that he is facing an underhanded disadvantage.

"Predicting every move you'll make gives me a distinct advantage, wouldn't you say?" Pegasus gloated. "What?!" Yugi exclaimed. "For example, I can antedate your next play, and counter with this Dragon Capture Jar." Pegasus said, "it will draw the Koumori Dragon from your card and imprison the beast!"

As Pegasus holds up the Trap Card, it glowed and admitted a bright white light. Yugi shielded his face from the intensity. And his Koumori Dragon appeared. And it could only roar as it was drawn into a small jar with a dragon face. "Trapped. Never to be played against me." Pegasus said.

"This is insane! First, he orates my mind, then he brings the monster on my card to life!" Yugi thought to himself. "This dark Dimension we're in is notorious as the Shadow Realm, a numinous dwelling where incredible creatures can be summoned, and the impossible is quite possible!" Pegasus explained as if reading Yugi's mind, which it possibly was. "But what you are telling me just can't be true!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Tell me, Yugi, have you considered that there are magical forces in these cards?" Pegasus asked. "don't you know? You invented this game." Yugi said. "What if I told you I didn't," Pegasus said. "Huh?!" Yugi exclaimed.

"In olden times, the Egyptians called this the Shadow Game. Great pharaohs would hold magical duels in other dimensions, just as we're doing now. But not with cards! They dueled with actual monsters and true magic. Supernatural forces so powerful the Egyptians lost control of them, and nearly destroyed the entire world!" Pegasus explained. "It's a good tale, Pegasus, but these monsters can't be real!" Yugi exclaimed. "Tell that to the cards!" Pegasus exclaimed, "Now let us continue the game."

"As long as he keeps that card on the board, I can't use anything from the Dragon Type!" Yugi thought to himself. "Even the super rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon that Seto Kaiba had, whom you have defeated can't stand up to this card that I hold in my hand." Pegasus boasted. "Not even the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!" Yugi exclaimed. "This game evolves from day to day," Pegasus explained.

"Well then, I'll use this!" Yugi announced as he drew another card. "A Beast type card, Silverfang!" Pegasus announced surprising Yugi. "I've sensed that you would use a Beast type card and you will also use the Spell card, Full Moon, to infuriate Silverfang," Pegasus explained.

"This card should handle Silverfang nicely. This Dragon Piper has weak attack force, but it is the only card that even comes close to being able to break Dragon Capture Jar!" Pegasus said as a monster that was the cross between an ornate bottle and a snake charmer appeared and began to play the flute.

"So you want to take my Dragon and turn it into your pawn?!" Yugi exclaimed. "Why, yes." Pegasus stated, "Dragon Piper's Flute of Dead Waking will revive your Dragon! As he frees your Koumori Dragon but puts him under my control!" Sure enough, Koumori dragon appeared again but was Pegasus's monster now.

"My Koumori Dragon! I have to counterattack! Silverfang!" Yugi exclaimed. Then a vast aggressive looking green wolf appeared growling at the enemy in front of him. Then Koumori Dragon stuck its head out of the TV and blasted it with its fire, destroying it. "Ugh! The Heat!" Yugi exclaimed as he shielded his face and his Lifepoints are now 1500.

"Ha! As you see, Yugi, these monsters are genuine! Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm, and also quite dangerous!" Pegasus jeered, "In your language, I believe this is called playing into someone's hands. "I'm joking! What a funny, funny joke." But he noticed that Yugi wasn't laughing at all.

"Ah, Yugi-Boy. You really are quite entertaining…the way you scowl and sneer, so rebellious and yet helpless, and so completely ignorant of the power of your Millennium Puzzle!" Pegasus said. "What?" Yugi exclaimed.

"Five thousand years ago, a powerful pharaoh sealed the magic of the shadow games away." Pegasus explained. "what's this have to do with me?" Yugi asked. "the Pharoah captured these vast magical energies in seven mystical Millennium Items." Pegasus continued.

"Seven items? You are saying that…my Puzzle's one of them?" Yugi asked, intrigued. "Yes, and there are mystical vitalities locked within it…magic that could change your life forever if you only knew how to unleash it!" Pegasus added.

"But why are you telling me this?" Yugi asked. "Why? Only because I need you to comprehend. But maybe I have said too much. And since the timer is still ticking, I propose we resume playing our little duel." Pegasus suggested.

"I know how surprised you must be by all of this Yugi-Boy, but this is very much real. There is absolutely no way you can beat me. And once you lose, you'll have to participate in the event I will soon sponsor." Pegasus said. "What?" Yugi exclaimed.

"This event was designed to proof who is the rightful King of Games in the Duelist Kingdom," Pegasus explained. "The rightful King of Games?" Yugi asked. "He who earns the title of King will earn great honor and a greater monetary prize," Pegasus added.

"I'm not at all interested in your event. What if I were to say no?" Yugi asked. "But you see, no is not an option for you. Since there is absolutely no way you can defeat me, you are not allowed to escape." Pegasus answered. "I have not lost yet," Yugi stated. "Fine. Then we will continue with the game. Well, my turn is over now. You really should take full advantage of your go." Pegasus said as he placed a card on the field.

"He's right. Time is fastly running out, and I still haven't found out whether or not he can truly read my mind, or if it's some kind of hoax." Yugi thought to himself, "There must be some secret to how Pegasus keeps reading my hand. What could it be?"

Pegasus lifts his hair from the golden eye. Inside is a reflection of the Zombie Warrior card. And that reflection was in Yugi's eye as well. "ugh, I've got to try something. Maybe my Zombie Warrior…" Yugi thought to himself, "I'll send his Dragon Piper into oblivion with this card."

But when Yugi starts to reach for the card, Pegasus snickers. "Wait a minute! Hold on! He unquestionably knows what I'm about to do. But how! Did I choose that card myself, or am I only thinking I did? If he's using magic to control me. It's got to have to do something with that weird eye of his." Yugi thought as he thought back to seeing the eye through Pegasus's hair, "that's it…isn't it! That strange eye must've somehow let him see the cards in my hands! Or it could be that he uses some sort of hypnotic signal to control his opponents. Then it would seem as if he was reading their hands. So no matter what card I pick, he's already one step ahead of me! But that gives me an idea… I think I'm on to the secret of his magic!" Yugi thought.

"Well, Yugi-Boy, the turn is yours!" Pegasus urged, "hurry up now, time is running out, …for you and your friends!" "If I chose a card from my hand, I'll be controlled by his magic. Pegasus is expecting me to use one of the cards that I have in my hand…but what if I use a card even I haven't seen yet! What happens if I draw a card right from the deck without even looking at it! I have to put faith in my deck. I'll lay everything on the next card." Yugi strategized as he drew a new card and placed it facedown without knowing what it was.

"Don't even bother to declare your attack! Your next card will be a zombie type. I already see you plan to use the Zombie Warrior. And I'm already ready, to counter it with a Trap Card that makes even zombies lie down and play dead! It activates my trap, Sun Shower, the flood of sunlight kills all zombie monsters." Pegasus boasted.

"Not this time. Is that all your magic can do? I figured out your little trick, Pegasus. You may be able to see through the cards in my hand, but you can't see the cards I pull from the deck!" Yugi exclaimed with a mocking grin. "Hmm?" Pegasus mused. "My next card is…the Dark Magician!" Yugi announced as he flipped the card to reveal his trusty monster.

This did not amuse the man at all. "oooh, the big scary Dark Magician." Pegasus shrugged off with sarcasm, "Ah! Obviously it's not a Zombie type!" "Fool with me all you like, Pegasus; but my Magician will terminate that dragon!" Yugi said.

"Why not attack Dragon Piper?" Pegasus inquired. "Because I and only I revive my own cards. I can't let the game end with it under your control.." Yugi explained. "That audacity will prove fatal to your game." Pegasus warned, "so, go right ahead if you think it'll help."

"It'll do more than benefit me, Pegasus. It'll bring you closer to defeat, and me closer to saving my friends." Yugi said. "if it can do all that, by all means, play it." Pegasus stated.

"Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi ordered. The magician appeared with his purple armor and pointy hat and green staff of the same layered design. He extended his palm, unleashed his power on the dragon, and it exploded.

"ahh!" Pegasus exclaimed as he flinched away and his Lifepoints were reduced to 1200. "Ahahahahaha! Nicely played! Very good! Okay, I give your credit for seeing through a small part of my powers, but it seems you greatly underestimate my powers!" Pegasus boasted, "But by using your Dark Magician, you have let me influence you once again. By using that one card, you have ensured my victory." "What? No." Yugi exclaimed.

"We'll see, Yugi. It is my turn!" Pegasus said as he drew a card, "Oh! Surprise of surprises! A very rare card. It is the fearsome Illusionist, Faceless Mage!" Pegasus announced.

"I've never seen that card before, but the Dark Magician is one of the strongest members of the Spellcaster type." Yugi stated. "but how will he fare once I combine my faceless mage with the equally rare Eye of Illusion to make it a Combo Attack?" Pegasus asked.

"I'll still face you! Dark Magician, Dark Magic!" Yugi ordered with a panic in his voice. "I call an illusionary power, Dazzling Eyes!" Pegasus announced. As the Dark Magician cast his spell at the Faceless Mage, it casts a spell of its own in the form of a golden eye. The magic caused an explosion of light, and Yugi had to cover his eyes to keep himself from going blind.

"Dark Magician! Who's the winner?" Yugi asked, both monsters were still on the field, "A tie? My attack had no effect at all!" "hmhmhm." Pegasus said.

"But in a tie, they should both disappear together! Maybe this is an effect of the Eyes of Illusion!" Yugi contemplated, "His Faceless Mage should have been demolished. But it's still here, and I'm running out of time."

Yugi glanced at the clock on the player and realized he needed to finish this duel soon. "Five more minutes until the video counter hits zero. If I maintain my Life Points without attacking, I might win. But only a coward would choose that route. I'll fight to the end! The only real victory is taking Pegasus's Life Points down to zero!" Yugi strategized, "I'm up by three hundred Lifepoints, but only because Pegasus is playing me like a fool. I've got to find a way to defeat him at his own shadow game! Pegasus knows all kinds of tricks…but I gotta find a solution to beat him! I just have to believe in my Grandpa's Cards."

"I attack Faceless Mage with Celtic Guardian! This mighty warrior will cut your Faceless Mae down to size!" Yugi exclaimed as he summoned an armored elf-like warrior wielding a sword, "If he puts up a good fight, the Celtic Guardian should win!"

"So you seduced that Eyes of Illusion does more than just raise Faceless Mage's Attack Power. Much more!" Pegasus exclaimed, "It's true that your Guardian is mighty, but you have once again underestimated the incredible power of my Eye of Illusion! Haha!" "What? No!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Dark Magic Attack!" Pegasus ordered for some odd reason. With that attack, Celtic Guardian was destroyed, and Yugi was now at 400 Lifepoints.! "The Celtic Guardian why?" Yugi asked, "But how? But that's not possible! The Faceless Mage does not have a Dark Magic Attack."

"Oh, no…!" Yugi exclaimed, the Dark Magician was on the other side of the field in a kind of trance, a golden eye on his chest, "It was my own Dark Magician that attacked me! Pegasus is controlling him. He used the Eyes of Illusion to control the Dark Magician for this one turn. But if he's using its power to control my Magician, what's protecting his Mage…? Pegasus knows every card in my hand."

"well, Yugi My turn is ended and the time is almost up. Nice fight, Yugi-Boy. I must applaud you, what a way to go!" Pegasus jeered as he laced a facedown card and applauded himself, "And as I have higher Lifepoints than you, it seems, I am the victor."

True enough, there were only ten seconds left! "Time's not up just yet, Pegasus! This game isn't over yet! And you've left your Faceless Mage defenseless to a physical assault! My last card is from the Fiend type, it is Summoned Skull!" Yugi exclaimed as he held up the card. Pegasus wasn't smiling at the moment.

"Summoned Skull! Attack!" Yugi ordered as the monster appeared. The timer ticked down, 3…2…1…. And when it hit zero, both monsters disappeared, just as the skull was about to strike the mage.

"Ugh…" Yugi exclaimed, knowing that he had lost and who knows what will happen to his friends now. "Hm, well, we've run out of time. The game is over! But how close was that! If you had been able to finish that attack, I would have lost! But I didn't, did I. Yugi, you are a lot more skillful than I had thought. I have a strange feeling that you and I will duel again in the Duelist Kingdom. I have taken the degree of your talents this day, Yugi Muto, and when next we duel, we shall play for far higher stakes!" Pegasus said.

"And if I were to say no?" Yugi inquired, "Because I'm done with your games!" "Tch tch tch, you assume I'm giving you a choice in the matter, but…I'm not!" Pegasus said as he wags his finger, "There is no way you can escape me, Yugi."

He pulled back his hair, revealing the golden eye, which shocked Yugi seeing that the eye seemed similar to the Puzzle. "for I, too, possess one of the seven Millennium Items… mine is the Shadow Power of the all-powerful Millennium Eye!" Pegasus said. "A Millennium Eye!" Yugi exclaimed.

"That's right. YugiBoy, and now I'll show you the true extent of its magic!" Pegasus said. A golden light came from the Eye and Yugi prepared for the worst, but the light wasn't aimed for him, it was targeted at Grandpa who was still frozen in time.

"You see, I have found that, given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game!" Pegasus said. A ghostly image appeared out of his body and vanished into the screen. Yugi opened his eyes, realizing that nothing happened to him. "We shall meet again in the Duelist Kingdom. That is if you want to reclaim what's most dear to you." Pegasus threatened. Yugi was perplexed at first, then dread settled in as a familiar face appeared on the television.

"YUGI…!" Grandpa called out through the static. Instantly, Yugi inverted back to himself, gasped in fear as he realized what was happening.

"YUGI!" Grandpa called out again as he faded into the static. "Huh…Grandpa?!" Yugi cried out as his Grandpa disappeared from the screen. The shadows disappeared from the room, and everyone wakes up from the trance, save for Grandpa who keels over on the ottoman, shocking everyone into a state of worry.

Yugi didn't take notice as he was kneeling in front of the TV, shaking it in terror. "Yes, we will duel again, Yugi…how else will you ever reclaim your grandfather's soul! Hahahahahahaha!" the voice of Pegasus taunted in his mind.

"Grandpa! Grandpa?! GRANDPA!" Yugi cried out in vain. But it was no use, Grandpa was gone. And there was nothing Yugi could do, he was powerless on his own…or was he?

_***Happy Father's Day to all fathers and all father figures out there!**_


	6. Duel 005

_***If you're wondering about the grammar. I'm following the script for the English dub, and it seems like most of it on Joey's part is of the Brooklyn accent, so it might be confusing. Please bear with me.**_

_***Thanks again for for providing the English dub Transcripts.**_

_**Duel 005**_

_**At School, at Sunset:**_

The sun was setting over Domino, and Yugi was on the roof of the school deep in his thought over the events that had recently taken place. Shadows caused by the chain linked fence grew longer as Yugi stood there, small and alone.

"How did I get into this mess? I can't believe that Grandpa's actually gone. One minute he's right beside us, and then the next? Pegasus appears and uses some kind of strange magic to take his soul away! But why? What could Pegasus want with me? And could it be something to do with my Puzzle?" Yugi thought to himself as visions of his Grandpa and Pegasus appeared in the sunset, "Pegasus has the power to see through other's heart. How can I beat a guy who can tell the hand or even the tactics? But I must do it, Grandpa is taken! Well, I'll get Grandpa back! I'll beat Pegasus at his own game!... Whatever that is. I'm not going to hide! I'm going to the Kingdom to take back what's important! Wait there, Pegasus!"

_**At Joey's Home:**_

In another part of town, Joey was at home with a DVD in hand. "Wonder who this is from?" Joey asked himself as he inserted the disk in the player. After a moment of static, a face all too familiar to Joey appeared.

It was a young girl, a few years younger than him, with back-length red hair, big brown eyes, and a delicate and kind face. "Hey, Big Brother Joey! How've you been? I really miss you!" a young girl exclaimed. "Serenity?" Joey exclaimed.

He could only stare in stunned silence as his sister gave a light laugh, although it seemed forced. "I can't believe I hadn't seen you since that day six years ago when Mom took me away to live with her. I'll never forget that day. It seems so long ago…" Serenity reminisced.

For a moment, the siblings remembered the last time they saw each other. A younger Serenity was crying for her brother through the glass of a receding car window while her brother tried to run after it but to no avail. Young Joey could only shed two streams of tears from his eyes as the vehicle disappeared into the distance, with little Serenity crying out to her brother again.

"But I'm sorry that I can't see you. I really really wanted to see you in person. I'm sending you this video letter just so you won't ever forget your little sister's face. It seems I'm running out of time." Serenity said as tears started to form in the edges of her eyes as her voice became sadder, "I was hoping to see you one last time before... Well, you know or otherwise…Well, um, you understand, Bubye, Brother."

"Run outta time? One last time…It can't be! Serenity!" Joey whispers horrified, realizing what she was talking about. "So long, take care, Joey. Goodbye! Much love, Brother!" Serenity said as her face disappeared into the static again and Joey was left with his reflection in the screen. "Ah! Darn it! Serenity…!" Joey said, trying not to cry himself.

_**Later that Evening, at Kame Games:**_

Darkness was starting to fall when Yugi returns home, downtrodden that his Grandpa was in the hospital and won't welcome him back. He was about to go in when he noticed an envelope wedged in the door. "Huh? What's this…?" Yugi pondered.

He takes the envelope, opens it, and sees five Duel Monsters cards inside. "It's from Pegasus!" Yugi exclaimed. He takes out one of them and sees a picture of a castle in the middle of an island. "Oh, my…it's an invitation to the tournament at the Duelist Kingdom!" Yugi exclaimed.

_**The Next Day at School:**_

"A tournament at the Duelist Kingdom? Isn't that an island? So you're going there by boat?" Téa asked in the classroom. The gang was there with their desks pulled up to each other, and the five cards from the invitation were spread out between them,

"So you're playing on some island? That's where Pegasus is keeping your Grandpa?" Joey asked. "Well, …maybe, but the only way for sure is to become a contestant. The boat's going to be leaving in a week." Yugi explained as he looked at a card with the image of an old wooden ship, "I'm supposed to leave at 9:30 a week from today. I'm leaving from the Domino Pier."

"An invitation to the Kingdom?" Joey asked himself. "But is your grandfather there?" Téa asked. "I don't know. But there's nothing I can do, but go see." Yugi answered.

"But you can't go! It could be dangerous!" Téa protested. "Yeah, he's known to be eccentric, and sometimes being unconventional can be dangerous," Satomi stated. "I have to go. It's the only clue I have for freeing Grandpa." Yugi said.

"I'm pretty surprised. I still can't believe your Grandpa was kidnapped without us even noticing. That Pegasus guy is not an ordinary fellow for sure." Tristan stated, "I mean, Pegasus used some kind of creepy spell to take your Grandpa's soul away! And now he's playing with you, forcing you to duel in the tournament!"

"Darn! We can't get on the boat without having an invitation. It upsets me that we can't do anything about it!" Joey complained, "Without invitations, we can't even go there with you! I wish we could help ya, pal…" "Me too. This is bad…" Téa agreed.

"I don't think I could anyway, I still need to look after Mokuba. Since Seto's still not around." Satomi stated. "I wish we can go with you," Tristan said as he picked up two of the cards. A moment of silence fell on the group as all five of them became severe and somber.

"Hey, Yugi! Check this out. This Glory of the King's Hand card says 'Vast Prize.' Tristan said referring to the card showing a pile of golden treasure and jewels, "According to this card…the tournament champion takes the grand prize of three million yen!" "Prize? Three mil…?" Joey asked.

"It probably means that the winner will get a huge amount of prize money!" Yugi explained, "So what, Tristan? Who needs money at a time like this?" "Hey! Let me see it! Gimme that!" Joey demanded as he swiped the card from Tristan as he looked at it, he became more excited and hopeful, "Hah, you're right! Three million…!"

"Guess Joey does…Um…Joey?" Yugi asked, feeling puzzled and a little hurt. "That's right, Vast Prize! Three million in cold cash." Joey said, totally mesmerized by the prize.

_**After School, at Sunset:**_

After school, Joey was on the same roof Yugi was at the previous night. He was sitting against the building on the roof, lost in thought as he gazed at the setting sun.

"Joey! What're you doing up here?" Yugi joined in. "huh?" Joey said, surprised to see Yugi. What's with you?" Yugi asked again.

"Ah, nothin'. I'm just thinkin' about a lot a' stuff." Joey answered as he looked back at the sun as Yugi joined in., "Look! What a pretty sunset, huh?" A moment of silence came as the two friends just gazed away.

"Yugi, you do know that I care about your Gramps, right? I mean, he taught me the Heart of the Cards!" Joey stated, "I'm really grateful for that." "Of course, I know…" Yugi noted as he turned to face his friend. "Do your thing! Go and get your Grandpa back!" Joey exclaimed, "One way or another, I'll help you beat Pegasus!" Yugi nodded as he went to sit next to Joey.

"That means a lot to me, Joey. I'm glad we're friends. I'm thrilled that we've met!" Yugi exclaimed. "What's got into you?" Joey asked. "Just reminiscing," Yugi answered. "Remember the first time we met?" Joey asked.

"I'll never ever forget it! It was because of the Millennium Puzzle. I was so devoted to putting the puzzle my Grandpa gave me together." Yugi said as he recalled the memories, "The way Grandpa had described it to me, the Puzzle was originally found in an ancient Egyptian Ruin. My Grandpa gave the Puzzle to me and kind of dared me to solve it. This puzzle was the most incredible thing I have ever seen! As soon as I laid my hand on it, I knew it was special. I wished on the Puzzle that I wanted a real best friend. I thought the Millennium Puzzle would make my wish come true. And I believe the Puzzle came through for me. That's when I met you and Tristan. Although…you didn't act like my friends at first."

"Hah! You mean, when we were playin' keep away with the Puzzle? It was for you, man! We just wanted to harden ya up so you could stand up to the real bullies. We were only teasin' ya." Joey said. "Teasing?! You took a portion of the Puzzle and threw it out the window!" Yugi argued.

"Oh! Then it must have been the worst encounter. Man oh, man! I was irritated by seeing you so introverted." Joey admitted. "And I tried to help you out when that bully picked on you!" Yugi stated. "He was a mean one, all right…" Joey agreed. "When Trudge came along to take my money, pretending he was protecting me from you." Yugi recalled, "It was when I really wanted a real best friend, not just wishing to the Puzzle."

"Yeah, you stood up for us, Yugi. I'll never ever forget it. Because a' you, we got that idiot expelled from school. And Tristan and I now know what it is like to have a true friend." Joey said. "Well at least you recovered the lost Puzzle piece you had threw out; if you hadn't done that, I could have never have solved the Millenium Puzzle!" Yugi stated, "You even said you had a treasure called friendship." "What?! Are you sure I really said clichéd stuff like that?" Joey asked. "Yeah!" Yugi exclaimed. "Well, the Truth a' the matter is, you're the best friend I've ever had," Joey admitted. Yugi nodded in agreement.

"I wish everyone can come with me," Yugi said, feeling depressed and anxious, "It's too bad you can't come with me to rescue Grandpa." "Don't be discouraged. Our hearts are always with you!" Joey encouraged, "Don't worry, somehow, some way, I promise; we'll do it together!" "Ah…! Together?" Yugi asked, "That's right!"

"Heh, you bet! We're a team, Yugi." Joey said, "You should be happy!" "I'll do my best," Yugi said. "But how can you go with me without an invitation?" "Hmmm…" Joey mused. Until the sun fully set in the distance, the two friends just sat in silence.

_**At Satomi's Apartment**_

A week later, in a cozy and homy looking loft, Satomi had just come in and went to the Butsudan. "Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad! I'm home!" Satomi said softly. On the altar, there was a photograph of a younger Seto and Satomi with an infant Mokuba. With them, were a man with brown hair and blue eyes with a soft smile, and a woman with short black hair with blackish purple eyes sitting in a hospital bed holding the newborn Mokuba.

After paying her respects, she went into her room and changed out of her school uniform. When she came out of her room, she was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark purple shirt. "Mokie should be here any minute now, so I better get dinner started." She stated as she went to the fridge.

Then her phone went off, showing her little brother's number. Without reservation, she answered it. "Mokie?" she replied. "Sis! You need to hide!" a voice called out. "Mokie?! What's going on?!" Satomi asked.

"I can't explain it now! I can only say that some men are after us! You need to run and hide somewhere! Oh no! They're coming! Run now!" Mokuba shouted over the phone and then hanged up. "Mokuba? MOKUBA!" Satomi shouted, but to no avail.

Then she heard a bang from below her apartment. Making sure, she wasn't seen, she peeked from the side of the window and saw at least three thugs going into the building. Without a second thought, she grabbed a black hoodie sweater jacket, black and gray sneakers, tucked her long hair into a black baseball cap and covered the hood over her head. Then she went into a closet and grabbed a large green backpack. She was about to dash to the balcony when she doubled back and grabbed the photo from the Butsudan

Making sure no one was watching, she went outside to her balcony and jumped down to the other four terraces below and into the bushes. She waited until the thugs began searching the loft, and then dashed into the streets. Since she was on the run from something, she might as well go to where all her friends were gathering tonight.

_**At the Domino Pier:**_

A foghorn blared as a large crowd was gathered around a large cruise ship. "Attention all chosen Duelists! Welcome to this tournament sponsored by Industrial Illusions! You received with your invitation the Star Chips that will grant you entry into the tournament. You're all elite! Chosen by us after close observation of your past duels. You each have an equal chance to win! It all comes down to how well you have chosen your cards and how well you play! Well then Duelists, you may cross the ocean and enter the Duelist Kingdom!" A man with pointy hair announced at the rail of the ship.

Below, at least fifty-nine people were listening to the guard, and Yugi was one of them, determined to succeed. After the speech, the Duelists began to board the ship. Before climbing aboard, they went through some guards sitting at some tables. "Present your Starchips as you board the vessel." A guard instructed, "Thank you. Next!"

Without a hitch, the line of passengers boarded the boat. But then…"You! Where are your Star Chips?" A guard demanded. "Get outta here, only certified contestants are allowed onboard!" another guard demanded. "How d'you know I'm not official?" a voice demanded to know. "Because the official Duelists aren't trying to sneak aboard through the lower hatches!" the guard answered. "Ah! Bend a rule or two, will ya?" A familiar voice argued. "Oh no! Somebody take this guy out!" the guard said.

The commotion drew attention from the Duelists yet to board, especially Yugi as the voice sounds familiar.

"Let me on board! I'm a friend of that Yugi Muto who defeated Kaiba!" the boy who was revealed to be Joey, who was being dragged away by two thugs. "What the?! Is that Joey?" Yugi exclaimed as he ran up to his struggling friend.

"Stop your Struggling! We're gonna have to throw you out!" the guard warned. "No way, I've come here to duel, and I'm gonna duel!" Joey fought back. "You should go home, or you're going to get hurt!" the guard warned. "Sounds good! I'll fight ya if ya think ya can take me!" Joey said.

"Wait! Leave him alone!" Yugi exclaimed. "Hey, Yugi!" Joey exclaimed, relieved to see his friend. "Who are you?" One of the two guards asked. "Joey. What are you doing here, Joey?" Yugi asked. "Haha. I was worried about you going alone after all. Didja really think I'd let ya do this tournament on your own? C'mon, help me out." Joey answered. Yugi could only smile, knowing he wasn't leaving the Duelist Kingdom alone.

Elsewhere, near the loading docks, Téa and Tristan were hiding behind some crates. A hand then came from behind and tapped on Téa's shoulder who then almost yelped before covering her mouth. "It's just me." A familiar voice answered.

"Satomi? What are you doing here?" Téa asked. "I thought you were looking after your brother," Tristan added. "Let's just say something came up, and I have to leave home for a while. So I decided to go with you guys anyway for now. I'll explain more on the boat." Satomi explained. The other two friends could only nod in agreement.

"Alright! Alright, there, bring it up! bring it up…!" A dick worker directed. "They're distracted. Let's go!" Téa exclaimed. "Right!" Tristan answered. "Roger, Dodger!" Satomi replied as they went into an opened crate and closed the door behind them.

Back with Yugi and Joey, things were struggling to solve themselves. "He's with me. Ya gotta let him on. So, let my friend come on board. Please." Yugi pleaded. "We can't make an exception! Only Duelists with a Star Chip can get on board! Understand?" the guard stated. "Yeah, but Joey has a Star Chip. Didn't he tell you?" Yugi said. "He does?" The guards exclaimed. "I do?" Joey exclaimed, equally confused.

"See?" Yugi said, holding out his hand and places a single Star Chip in Joey's hand. "What? What's this?" Joey said. "According to this card, a Star Chip proofs one is a Duelist," Yugi explained his case as he held up the card with the picture of a glove and stars.

"Hmph. That may be, but all contestants are given two Star Chips. You'll be at a disadvantage." One of the guards explained. "I know, that may be true, but I would rather take that disadvantage than be without my friend, Joey, by my side when we get to the Duelist Kingdom! I need 'im." Yugi said. "Yugi…!" Joey said, feeling both astonished and honored.

"What do we do now?" one of the guards asked the other, who was already calling a call on his smartphone. "Hello, Master Pegasus, it's me! We have a situation, Sir." The other guard explained.

_**On Board the Ship:**_

"Alright! Alright!" a crewman on the ship directed, lowering the crate onto the deck. "Whoa!" Téa exclaimed as she fell onto Tristan from the impact of the landing. "Sssh!" Tristan shushed. "Hey, don't come so close to me!" Téa warned. "Tristan's right, shush!" Satomi warned back. "Don't you shush me!" Téa snapped. "Pipe down!" Tristan warned again.

While the threesome was escaping the crate and hiding in the shadows, the ship has left the port and started its journey. Yugi and Joey stood at the railing on one of the decks, admiring the view.

"I'm glad they've let you on board, Joey!" Yugi said. "Only because you gave up one a' your Star Chips for me. But still, Pegasus seems to do a good thing once and a while," Joey said. "But if any of the other Duelists find out we each only have one Star Chip, they could try to take advantage of us," Joey warned. "Then be quiet about it," Yugi warned back, lowering his voice.

Unbeknownst to them, a blonde woman had heard their conversation. And a smile spread on her face, knowing she had found an opportunity.

"Yugi, I know I owe you for this for the rest of my life!" Joey said. "Ah! Don't worry about it!" Yugi reassured as they returned to admire the view before them. "This is kinda exciting, isn't it, Yugi?" Joey asked. "Yeah!" Yugi answered.

"Well, what do we have here! I can't believe what I'm seeing!" a female voice called out. "Huh?" the boys exclaimed. They turned and saw the blonde from before. She was wearing a purple jacket over a white corset, a purple miniskirt, and a pair of high heeled boots.

"Wow!" Joey swooned, his eyes all but dropped out of his head. "So, you're that Yugi kid everybody's talking about. Huh?" The blonde exclaimed. "Whoa-ho! Check it out! What a babe!" Joey practically drooled.

"But I'm amazed that a shrimpy squirt like you could possibly beat Kaiba. You're famous, you know!" the woman said, ignoring Joey as she went to address Yugi. "uh, thanks very much…I think." Yugi staggered, nervous by her forwardness.

"Hey, Miss! I'm an excellent friend of the famous Yugi, the Master Duelist. In fact…" Joey blabbered. She had no idea what he was babbling about, but she ignored him. "No matter who I face in a duel, shrimp, or otherwise, I show no mercy. I crush them all." The blonde stated, "And look, word of advice, you're either a champ or a chump, cut this guy loose. He's fashioned-challenged and deserves to be crushed in the games." With that, she walked away.

"Oh! Please, crush me! I want to duel her!" Joey exclaimed. "I'll crush you all eventually. I'm Mai Valentine. See you later, boys!" she said with a wink and walked off again.

It turns out that the hiding threesome was in the shadows close by behind some crates, watching the Duelist go inside. "What was that? We sneak on to help him win the contest, and he gets all flustered by that…" Téa fumed. "SHHH! Quiet! They'll hear you!" Tristan warned. "MEN! You're all unbelievable!" Téa snapped, "Also how arrogant was that woman anyway! There's nobody better at Duel Monsters than Yugi!" "Téa! Seriously be quiet!" Satomi warned. "I don't care, he's still the best!" Téa stated. "I'm glad my brothers didn't hear you." Satomi deadpanned.

_**In the Steerage:**_

"Hey! Is this a joke or what?!" Joey complained, causing a commotion again, "Why do we have to sleep in the steerage on such a luxurious cruiser?! I know you got better rooms somewhere!" "You again?!" the guard from before exclaimed, pinning Joey's arms behind his back. "We give you a break, and now you're causing more trouble?" the other guard said. "I know you have better cabins!" Joey exclaimed. "D'you wanna get thrown outta here?" the guard asked.

"What's all this big fuss in the Steerage?" Rex Raptor said in the doorway. Then he was joined by Weevil Underwood. "Huh? Hey! Aren't you that kid, Yugi?" Weevil Underwood asked. Yugi turned and was starstruck. "Yeah! And I know you!" Yugi exclaimed. "Yeah! Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor, the Dino Duelist!" Joey exclaimed, equally starstruck. "Heh! Hey, you! You're wastin' your time with those people. The private rooms only go to finalists from the last championship, and that's us!" Rex explained.

"Congratulations on winning the Regional Championships, Weevil!" Yugi said. "It was nothing!" Weevil said. "Yeah, I just went easy on him that time," Rex added. "yeah? Well, this contest is gonna be ours! Because Yugi and I are gonna take the tournament! Isn't that right, Yugi?!" Joey said, breaking free from the thugs.

"To tell you the truth, winning the Regional Championship didn't feel like much of an accomplishment. I guess I can't really call myself the Champion until I beat you and Kaiba. Especially the Duelist that beat Kaiba! But I'm sure I'll end up dueling you in the Kingdom tournament, Yugi. Frankly, I look forward to it." Weevil stated. "I look forward to it too!" Yugi agreed, a bit nervous by his tone, but still put on a friendly face.

"What? He's only a little kid!" Rex stated. "I'm sixteen." Yugi deadpanned, which shocked the two Duelists to learn that someone barely their height was actually older than them. "It's true." Joey vouched. "Well, I'm looking forward, to some Dino Demolition!" Rex said, shaking off the shock.

"By the way…let me tell you a secret. It is something none of the other players know about the games yet. Did you know new rules apply to the Duels in the Kingdom?" Weevil asked in a stage whisper, shaking off his own shock.

"What?! New rules? Isn't that cheating?" Yugi exclaimed. "Well, I don't know specific details yet. But it seems we must be better prepared in our tactics than before." Weevil explained, "The other duelists will find out soon enough, but there are new rules on the island that require more strategy."

"Ah, I don't mind the rules! Rules are for chumps! In Dueling, you either smash your rival or get smashed yourself. It either crush or be crushed! It's one or the other!" Rex stated. "That's right! You seem to be a tough guy! I like you!" Joey exclaimed. "Thanks!" Rex said.

"Although I learned the hard way that strength is good, you also need to combine them with other types of cards." Joey tried to advise. "Who asked you?! Stay outta my way, pipsqueak, or I'll stomp you like everyone else! I'm leaving now to go back to my cabin and relax." Rex shrubbed off as he walked away. "We'll see who stomps who when we arrive at the island! I don't like him after all, he makes me mad!" Joey fumed.

"Ignore him, let's scope out the competition since shared accommodations aren't so bad." Weevil stated. "What do you mean? Joey asked. "Look at everyone." Weevil pointed out to the other Duelist in the lofts. "Check out those chumps! They're already trading over there. Just look all around you. Players here are trading cards and improving their decks, getting prepared for the tournament! It's also a grand opportunity to get a feel for opponents' decks." Weevil explained. "Wow! That's Weevil! He sees everything in a second! I bet this is how he gets so much insight into his opponent's strategy!" Yugi thought to himself.

"Hi! I'm Joey! Can you show me your cards? Wow! This one looks strong! Whoa! Strong cards. Hey! Why don't you…? Hey, wanna trade? How about you? Anybody? Help me out here!" Joey said, darting back and forth to each of the huddles to get someone's attention. "Hey, Joey!" Yugi said, "Guess he's trading."

"If you've come this far and don't have faith in the cards in your deck and still trying to improve it… if you ask me you're in real trouble. You've got to be pretty desperate. Well, I should retire to my cabin too. I'll catch you on the flip side!" Weevil said as he walked out the door.

Rex was walking in the hallway when another commotion caught his attention. "This is truly, truly ridiculous! You expect a lady like myself to stay in this place without even a shower?" Mai demanded to the thug who nervously back away from her.

"Rules are rules, Madam, there's nothing I can do." The guard tried to explain. "Call your superior! Get him on the phone right now!" Mai demanded again. "Uh…well…" the guard stammered.

"Keep acting up like this, and they'll throw you off the boat," Rex warned. "What are you? Who d'you think you are?!" Mai asked. "A Champion with a Luxury room," Rex answered, blushing knowing he has something she wants, "Why don't you come back to my private room?" "How nice! Really? Could I see it?" Mai asked. "You bet ya! Come check it out!" Rex snickered.

_**On the Deck:**_

"Oh, no!" Téa exclaimed, standing up from her hiding place. "Hey, Téa! Stay down, or we're gonna get busted!" Tristan warned, pointing to the side of the ship. "But I can't hold it, where's the bathroom?" Téa asked. "Why don't you go over there, Téa?" Tristan teased. "Stupid! I'm not a boy!" Téa snapped.

"Me, on the other hand, it's freezing out here, I can't sit still!" Satomi stated, rubbing her arms. "Hmhm. In another few more hours, the sun will rise. Ha!" Tristan teased again. "Mmph! That's not funny, Tristan!" Satomi snapped as she whacked him across the head. "Ow! Girl! You hit hard!" Tristan complained.

Then suddenly, the door opened. "Get down!" Tristan warned as he and the girls ducked. A long white-haired boy walks out and stands at the railing, looking out to the sea. And Téa recognized him instantly.

"Bakura? Hey, look! Wasn't that Bakura?" Téa asked. "Bakura who?" Tristan asked. "That's cold!" Téa deadpanned. "Bakura from school." Satomi reminded. "It can't be Bakura," Tristan answered. "Right…" Téa said.

"But if it was Bakura, what do you think he's doing here?" Téa asked. "Uh…I guess he's in the tournament." Tristan spitballed. "Must be…" Satomi stated.

_**In Rex's Private Room"**_

"So, what you think of these cool digs," Rex said from his couch. "It's stunning! You must be quite a strong Duelist!" Mai gushes. "Maybe I am," Rex stated coolly.

Mai smiles a crafty smirk as a plan forms in her head as she gave off an airhead act. "Really! I love strong men who are stronger than I," Mai stated, "I also love Duel Monsters! Say how 'bout we play a game?"

"What do you think you're talking to? There's no way you can beat me!" Rex bragged. "Please? let me try!" Mai pleaded as she sat on the other couch. "You'd never win," Rex warned.

"Tell you what; I do anything you want if you won," Mai said, "For example, if you win, I'll give you a kiss." "Huh? Heheheheheh…" Rex chuckled, getting a few ideas in his head.

_**On the Observation Deck:**_

"Hey, Yugi! I got some good card-tradin' in and traded a few of my cards!" Joey exclaimed at dining deck. "Hey, show me! Show me! Lemme see 'em!" Yugi exclaimed. Joey held out his new cards for Yugi to examine.

"Salamandra, and Kunai with Chain, Baby Dragon, and Shield and Sword! Great! With these new Spell cards like that, it should allow much more strategy when you play! Jointed with your monsters, you'll have a powerful deck." Yugi stated. "Alright! Yippee! So now I'm prepared to win every duel I play! It's as good as winning the Championship!" Joey exclaimed.

"I don't think it's gonna be that easy. You're gonna find it's a bit tougher than that, Joey." Yugi stated, then he remembered something and takes a card from his golden chest, "Oh! You should use this too! I'm sure it can help you at times, especially in a tight spot," Yugi stated. "Thanks! I'll take it with much appreciation! I can't get over how you are always helpin' me out!" Joey said.

"Ah! Hi Yugi, we meet again!" a familiar voice called out. The boys turned and saw a familiar face with a cheeky grin. "Huh? Oh. Weevil…" Yugi said.

_**Back in Rex's Room:**_

"Okay, then, cut the cards!" Mai said, pushing her deck towards Rex. "Alright! Let's start!" Rex said. "Heheheh! Tonight is the best night of my whole life! This'll be a snap!" Rex thought to himself. "Hmmm…" Mai thought to herself.

"That's good! What if you win?" Rex asked. "If I win, you will agree to clear out of the room for the rest of the trip, okay?" Mai stated. "Clear out?! I'm not gonna lose, you got yourself a deal!" Rex said with confidence.

"Do you want me to tell you those cards from the top without looking at them?" Mai asked. "What?! Nobody can do such a thing!" Rex exclaimed.

"The top one is the Shadow of Eyes," Mai stated. Rex flipped the first card over, and sure enough, there was a Trap card with an image of feminine eyes was shown. "How did you do that? What is this?" Rex exclaimed. "The second one is Harpy Lady, next is Elegant Egoist, followed by Cyber Shield," Mai noted. Rex flipped one card after another, and it was in the same order as Mai's predictions.

"Oh no! she's right again! That can't be!" Rex exclaimed. "This is my card method. I always know what cards I have and can pick any one of them I like at any time. So, you ready to duel? And leave the room when you lose. So, ga'head and deal 'em, Rex. " Mai said. "Heheheheheheheh. Yeah, sure, I will," Rex stated, trying not to sweat, but then he thought to himself, "Ohh…I think I'm in trouble!"

_**Back at the Observation Deck:**_

With the three Duelists, a light breeze blew through. "Ah! The evening breeze sure feel lovely! So did you trade for any good cards, Yugi?" Weevil asked. "No, I'm gonna duel with the cards I've brought with me," Yugi answered. "I've figured as much!" Weevil stated, eyeing the golden chest on the table.

"You had used the Exodia cards in your duel with Kaiba, right? I bet they're still in your deck. Those are the strongest cards in the whole game." Weevil said. "You'll be right and really rare!" Yugi answered.

"Could I possibly see those legendary cards?" Weevil asked. "I guess so since the secret is out! I can't help it if you already know my tactics. I don't see why not. Just be careful with them. Okay?" Yugi stated. "Ahh…!" Weevil exclaimed, an impish shine on his glasses shown. "Here!" Yugi offered the cards.

"So these are the cards to seal and call Exodia! For a long time, I've been trying to come up with some kind of strategy to finally beat these cards. But I couldn't come up with anything…until just this moment! Now I've finally found it." Weevil said as he headed towards the railing.

"Huh?" Yugi said, worry starting to set in. "This is the way! Say goodbye to Exodia!" Weevil exclaimed as he tossed the five cards into the ocean below. "NO!" Yugi yelled. "What?!" Joey exclaimed.

"Hahahaha! Now there's absolutely no one who can challenge me! Heheheheheheh!" Weevil exclaimed as he walked away, leaving a stunned Yugi and angered Joey behind.

"Why you…!" Joey glared, having half a mind to go after him and teach him a lesson. "My Cards!" Yugi exclaimed as he watched his cards float away, moving along the rail to keep them in sight, which was getting harder by the minute, "Those were the Exodia Cards that my Grandpa gave me!

"Darn it! I'll get 'em!" Joey exclaimed as he dove into the water below. "Joey, don't!" Yugi exclaimed as Joey swan-dived with a splash. "That's impossible! Joey, where are you?!" Yugi said.

Joey's head popped from the water and started treading water while searching for the cards. "Wait, Yugi! I'll get them for you! I promise you! I'll get them, Yugi!" Joey promised, gasping for air.

"Hey! Joey, come back to the Ship! They're not worth drowning over!" Yugi called out. "Don't worry, Yugi! I'll get 'em for ya! Look there! I got one of them!" Joey exclaimed as he grabbed a card.

"Joey! Swim back to the ship! Your life is more available than those cards!" Yugi called out. "No way! At least this time there is somethin' I can do help someone I care about! There are some things that one has to protect, even if you have to risk your life. Everybody has something irreplaceable! Everybody's got special things in their lives that can't be lost at any cost!" Joey ranted.

Then suddenly, a small wave came and pushed Joey underwater for a second, thankfully, he resurfaced. "Current sure is strong, though. It's hard to fight. But if I punk out now, who's gonna help my sister, Serenity?" Joey asked himself as he thought back to the video his sister had sent.

"Just three more now!" Joey exclaimed as he grabbed yet another card. Then another wave brings him underwater, only this time, he didn't resurface. "Joey!" Yugi called out as he dove into the ocean.

Thankfully, Joey does resurface, struggling to keep his head and the two cards above the water. "Joey, hold on!" Yugi called out again as he swam towards his struggling friend. "Yugi! Just three more now…" Joey said. But then he begins to sink.

"Joey!" Yugi shouted as his friend went under the waves. He managed to pull him back up, but he was out of breath. It was difficult enough to hold a taller person's weight and swim in the rough sea. "The rest…of the cards…" Joey s said half-conscious and half-drowned.

"Yugi!" A familiar voice from above called out. "Are you okay?" Another familiar voice joined. "What are you doing down there?! A moonlight swim?!" another voice asked.

Yugi looked up and saw a rope ladder being thrown down. At the top of the ladder, he saw three familiar faces. "Grab hold!" Téa called. "Hurry!" Tristan said. "Get your butts up here now!" Satomi demanded. "Téa! Tristan! Satomi!" Yugi said with a relieved smile, knowing they were saved.

_**In the Hallway:**_

"Get out, loser! And thanks for the room, Rex! That was easier than I thought!" Mai exclaimed. As she tossed Rex, his cards, and his bags out of the room. With that, she closed the door, leaving Rex without a place for the night.

_**In a Cargo Area:**_

Among the cargo, the gang recovered from their ordeal. "Thank you! That was close! But why did you stow away" Yugi asked. "Oh! We were just worried about you." Téa answered. "We couldn't just let you go alone," Tristan added.

"What were you doing down there anyway?" Satomi asked. "Weevil Underwood tossed my Exodia cards overboard, Joey had dived in to get them back, and when he started drowning, I jumped in after him," Yugi explained. "What?! How did Underwood get your cards?" Satomi asked. "I was showing them to him," Yugi answered. "He wasn't acting super friendly to you, was he?" Satomi interrogated, knowing the answer. "He was…" Yugi admitted, realizing Weevil was pretending the whole time.

"Yugi! You should know that not all Duelist are friendly competitors! I'm speaking from experience!" Satomi rebated as she facepalmed herself, "Duelists can act nice just to get inside your head and learn your secrets, or wreck your deck! I'm not saying all Duelist are like that, but you still need to keep your guard up." Yugi could only silently promised to do so, hanging his head low.

"Anyway, I'm sure glad you three showed up! Really glad!" Yugi said. "We're a team. We all stick together." Téa said. "We'll always watch your back," Tristan added. "Or else you'll get into trouble if we don't, like a moment ago." Satomi half teased. "Thanks a lot, you guys!" Yugi said.

"I'm sorry, Yugi. I only found two out of the five cards that you need!" Joey apologized. "It's okay, Joey," Yugi reassured. "It's not okay! It's always this way with me! I'm never able to help anybody! Not even my own sister, Serenity!" Joey vented.

"Serenity? What are you talking about?" Yugi asked. "Really? You have a sister, Joey?" Téa asked. "Our parents got a divorce years ago when we were little. She lives far away with my mother. My sister's had horrible eyesight since she was born. Eventually, she'll go blind!" Joey explained, looking at Yugi with eyes filled with despair. "Blind? I'm sorry." Yugi gasped. "Thanks, Yuge. Serenity had just sent me a video message," Joey said as he reminisced the video's contents and of a time when they were laughing happily on a pair of swings. "The Doctor must have told her that the time has come. The disease she has is hard to repair even with surgery. Soon her eyes will be impossible to restore. But there's one specialist in Germany who can do the procedure before it's too late! He could save her eyesight! He has the latest technology too. If I can just send her there. The only problem is she needs an operation, but there's no way I can pay for it. I have to win for her! Winning in the Duelist Kingdom tournament and getting the prize money is the only way I can save Serenity!" Joey exclaimed with tears in his eyes.

_**At the Bow of the Ship, Sunrise:**_

Morning came, creating a glowing line between the sky and the sea. The five friends all stood at the front, admiring the sunrise and the ocean breeze fluttered their hair and clothes. "I know we will both do our best Joey! You for your little sister and me for my Grandpa!" Yugi exclaimed. "That's right, do your best! We'll do this together!" Téa encouraged. "We got your back!" Satomi exclaimed.

"Look! The Island!" Tristan pointed out in the distance as the sun was rising over a lone island. "We're finally approaching the Duelist Kingdom! That's it we're almost there!" Yugi exclaimed.

As the friends stayed where they were to see the island grow more significant amid the beautiful sunrise, Yugi heard a voice in his head. "Weevil Underwood! You're going down first in the Kingdom!" the voice challenged. This shock Yugi, but he agreed that Weevil Underwood was to be his first opponent in the Duelist Kingdom.

_***Once again thank you for for providing the transcripts.**_


	7. Duel 006

_**Duel 006**_

**On the Ship**

As a seagull glided over the ocean, the ship carrying our five friends was nearing to the Duelist Kingdom Island. Anticipation was in the air as they neared the island.

"Yugi, we're finally here!" Joey exclaimed. "That's the Duelist Kingdom…" Yugi added. "Man. This Duelist Kingdom looks like a pretty huge place, Yugi. Finding your Grandpa's not gonna be easy," Joey stated. "Well, we gotta start somewhere," Yugi added.

When the ship arrived at a concrete pier, the anchor was dropped, and the passengers became eager to get off the boat and start Dueling. On the dock were several more tournament officials. "Whoa, check out the suits," Joey teased. "Watch it, Joey. Those guys mean business," Satomi warned.

The rest of the passengers gathered at the railing to get their first glimpse of the island. "Attention, all Duelists. Please disembark in an orderly fashion," Someone over the loudspeaker announced.

Then a thought came to Tristan, and he became very nervous. "Hey, Téa, Satomi, what if they discover we have no Star Chips, we're stowaways aren't we?" Tristan asked. "It's alright, they won't examine us again. But the guards will suspect you if you look scared!" Téa advised. "Just pretend you're a contestant," Satomi added. "Yeah, but what if one a' those security guys finds out we are stowaways anyways? We oughta just play it safe than sorry and swim back!" Tristan panicked. "We're in the middle of nowhere, lamebrain! If you just act normal, we'll be okay," Téa said. "Better yet, don't make eye contact!" Satomi advised.

Before the gang began to make their way towards the ramp, Satomi stopped them for a second. "Hold on, guys! If anyone asks, I'm a guy named Saito, okay," Satomi said, readjusting her disguise.

"Are you sure you should be here? Based on what you told us, it sounds like your brother is in trouble," Téa said, giving Satomi a deep sigh. "It was a very rushed decision on my part. I don't know the details, but I contacted some people I know I can trust about Mokuba's call and they're investigating right now. Mokuba said I needed to run, so until I get more information, there's nothing I can do but wait," Satomi said, her worry starting to show.

"Don't worry, I'm sure things will all work out in the end," Téa reassured, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Téa," Satomi said gratefully.

"As the gang headed down the ramp, Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Satomi were perfectly calm. Tristan, on the other hand, was agitated as he walked with his arms and legs together. "Just act cool. Act cool. Cool as a cucumber, keep it cool…" Tristan thought to himself stiffly as he walked past one of the guards.

"Hey, you!" a guard called out to Tristan. He stopped dead in his tracks, and the others turned around, fearing they got caught. "Don't look so nervous there, you guys are our guests here," the guard advised, "You should relax a bit more." "That's right! I'm your guest!" Tristan said, with a bow, "Thank you, sir!" And before the guard can say anything else, Tristan dashed off to join the others.

He recovered his breath while the gang checks on him. "I thought I just had a heart attack over there!" Tristan exclaimed, "I thought my heart was gonna stop!" "Way to play it cool, Tristan. That wasn't suspicious at all," Téa said sarcastically, "Geez! You're a lot timider than you appear." "Word of advice, don't go into acting," Satomi teased.

"Mmmph! Alright! Anyhow, every single one of us made it here safe…" Joey started to say but then gave a loud sneeze. "Eeew!" Téa exclaimed as she dodged the snot cannon. "Say it, don't spray it!" Satomi complained as Joey sniffed.

"Sorry, Joey. It's my fault," Yugi apologized as he recalled the event of last night, "You would have never have gotten that cold if it wasn't for Weevil,"

"Don't worry about it, Yugi. The unforgivable one is that jerk, who threw away your Grandpa's treasured cards," Joey insisted as he rubbed his nose, "Speakin' of our wormy friend looks like he just slithered his way off and is already lookin' to start some trouble. That little slimeball, I'd love to wipe that smirk off his face,"

Needless to say, Weevil is across the dock, watching the gang, smirking unpleasantly. "I would too! But we don't have the time for Weevil right now," Yugi thought to himself, glaring at the culprit, "Weevil, I will never forgive you…"

As the Duelists were waiting for what to do next, the pointy-haired guard stepped forward.

"Welcome all Duelists…your gathering place will be the gate of that castle. Please follow the stairs leading to the castle to meet your host!" the guard explained.

"That's Pegasus's castle.…it's gotta belong to Pegasus!" Yugi said. "Then what're we waitin' for!" Joey said, "Alright! Let's go!"

The contestants climbed the vast stairs towards the castle, which was surrounded by immerse forest. As they got closer, Téa saw a familiar figure in the woods.

"Huh? What's that?" Téa asked out loud. "Huh? What's wrong, Téa? What do you see?" Yugi asked as he and the others stopped walking. "I saw…it looked like…Bakura over there…" Téa said, pointing out into the forest. "Bakura? From school?" Yugi asked.

"They looked into the forest, but no one was there. "Again, with this Bakura stuff?" Tristan asked. "Again?" Joey asked back. "Téa said she saw Bakura or maybe someone who looks like him, on the ship," Satomi explained.

"Where is 'e Téa?" Joey asked. "Huh? He's gone? I guess I just imagined it," Téa admitted to herself, "That two times that I've seen him now. But he's not there anymore. Maybe it's all in my head," "C' mon, let's go! We're on a rescue mission, remember?" Tristan urged. With that, they continued the climb to the castle, but as they did so, Bakura reappeared, watching them go.

**At the Castle**

At the top of stairs, near the gates, the Duelists were gathered, waiting for the organizer of the tournament. "Hey, look! There are some impressive Duelists gathered here!" a random Duelist exclaimed. "Wow, look, that's Weevil Underwood! He's the Regional Champion!" A duelist exclaimed. "And there's Mako Tsunami, who came in third place!" Another duelist exclaimed, referring to a tan shirtless Duelist carrying a harpoon.

"Wow, these are all the best Duelist in the world! But where's the World Champion, Kaiba?" one Duelist asked. "Didn't you hear? Some kid beat 'im! On his own turf, too," another Duelist asked. "Are you serious? I thought Kaiba was the best," a Duelist said. "He was, but not anymore. Yugi Muto is supposed to be the kid to beat now." Another said.

"Without Kaiba here, the winner has to be one of those four," One of the Duelists stated again. "Now that you mention it, that Yugi guy who beat Kaiba's gotta be here somewhere!" Another one said. "He's got to be incredible to have beaten Kaiba!" Another one exclaimed. "I wonder where that guy is!" yet another stated.

In the crowd, the gang had overheard the conversations and playfully nudged Yugi. Yugi, on the other hand, was nervous by his newfound popularity.

"Attention, Ladies, and Gentlemen! Please gather around. Your honorable host is anxious to greet you all! Your host Master Pegasus will now explain the Dueling rules of this tournament," the pointy-haired guard announced. Yugi glared at the balcony from above, knowing his Grandfather's kidnapper was about to appear.

Inside the castle, Pegasus approaches the balcony, his golden eye scintillating in the light. He was gleaming that his plan was falling into place…whatever that is.

"Pegasus finally makes an appearance…" Joey said, forming his hand into a shaking fist, "Boy, would I like to get just five minutes alone with that guy…"

The man in question appeared on the balcony, gazing at the crowd with a superior smirk on his face. It was if he was looking for a specific person. Yugi could only glare at the man as he recalled the events that took his Grandfather away.

"Pegasus…! The who used that power of Darkness of his to seal my Grandpa's soul!" Yugi thought to himself as he continued to glare up to Pegasus, "I'm not leaving this island until I save my Grandpa from that man, no matter what Pegasus has planned for me!"

"So you came, Yugi-Boy," Pegasus thought to himself, his face shadowed with an ominous gaze as he gave a light chuckle. As he began to start his speech, the crowd roared into applause.

"Greeting, Duelists! Welcome! Welcome to the Duelist Kingdom! I am Maximillion Pegasus! It is my honorable privilege and pleasure to welcome all of you to the Duelist Kingdom," Pegasus exclaimed spreading his arms out wide, "You stand before me, the world's greatest Duelists, but come to tournament's end, only one shall be crowned King or Queen of Games! "I implore you all to accumulate your Dueling decks with care, with originality, and with ingenuity! For this tournament will test your skills like never before!"

The crowd from below listen intensively to Pegasus with anticipation. As Yugi looked, he gazed at his Duel Monsters deck, hoping that all he needs is in there.

"Now allow me to explain the rules to you. Please use your Duel Monster cards freely during this tournament. You will hold 2000 Lifepoints. Players are strictly forbidden from attacking the opponent directly. You may fight to your heart's content using your strongest card decks you've brought with you! To track your progress in the tournament, every Duelist received a Duel Glove in advance and two precious Star Chips. On the glove's ring, there are 10 holes in which you can keep your Star Chips. Please keep your Star Chips inside them. Those Star Chips are proof of your status as a Duelist. You must stake these Star Chips on each and every Duel you take part in. To advance to the ultimate level of the competition for a chance at the three million yen prize, you must win ten Star Chips! Ten Star Chips will permit you into my domain, where you'll face me in one final duel!" Pegasus explained, holding the glove and two stars.

"I see, so the loser of the Duel must give his Star Chips to the winner. The Duelist who loses their Star Chips will be disqualified. Joey and I are sharing Star Chips, so we have only one each," Yugi thought to himself as he put on his glove and gazed at Joey in concern, "If Grandpa's here on the island, I'd bet my Dueling Glove he's hidden away in that castle! Nut I'll never be able to get in there with all the security around. Me and Joey just gonna have to win enough Star Chips to get inside,"

"This tournament will be an event, unlike anything you have ever seen! State of the art Dueling Arenas are spread over this entire island, and exciting new rules will be in effect! I could tell you what the new rules are, but what fun will that be! You'll discover them as you complete, or you won't last very long!" Pegasus explained further, "This whole Island is a battlefield for your duel. The ones to survive this Battle Royale and obtain ten Star Chips will be permitted to pass through this gate. The Duels shall begin in just one hour! You will have a time limit of forty-eight hours. At that time, anyone with less than ten Star Chips will be considered losers. Those who lose will be deported from the island! Now then, my cherished Duelists, I wish you all the best of luck! Remember, play confidently, think strategically, and duel hardheartedly! You have one whole hour to prepare, both your card decks and yourselves. When fireworks light up the skies, the duels will begin!"

"I have to enter the castle no matter what!" Yugi thought to himself as Pegasus retreated back into the castle, as the crowd roared again.

"The Duelists have all arrived, Yugi has taken the bait. And the competition is about to begin! Everything goes according to plan!" Pegasus thought to himself as his Millennium Eye glimmer sinisterly, "Yugi-Boy, to fight me…you have to first fight battles on this island and advance to the next round!"

"I gotta win my way into the castle. I just gotta," Yugi thought to himself, "Wait for me, Grandpa! I will defeat Pegasus's Power of Darkness!" Yugi thought to himself.

**In a Meadow**

In a meadow filled with butterflies and flowers, the gang was preparing to wait for the start of the tournament. "Sorry, Yugi. You lost your important Star Chip because of me…" Joey apologized. "It's okay Joey, the reason I gave it to you is that I know you'll definitely win," Yugi stated.

"Actually, I don't know if I can really win this tournament. Maybe it'd be better for you to take your Star Chip back," Joey insisted. "No, you keep it. Your little sister is depending on you to win the tournament's prize money for her," Yugi said.

"Yugi…thanks, man," Joey said. "Joey, you have to work hard for your little sister," Téa said, "You can do it! You've just gotta stay clear of the more experienced Duelist at first." "Yeah, it's just a matter of working your way up!" Tristan added, "We'll be rooting for you the whole time." "Just remember baby steps, and don't let your blood get to your head," Satomi advised, "That's what usually gets you in trouble."

"Thank you, guys. Well, Yugi, between your Grandpa and my sister, we don't have any room for mistakes," Joey said, "We can't lose in the first Duels no matter what!". "Right," Yugi agreed with a nod.

Then suddenly, fireworks exploded from the towers of the castle. "The fireworks! It's starting!" Téa exclaimed. All over the island, Duelist saw the fireworks and went off to find their first Duel. "Let's do it! Duel Start!" Yugi shouted as he and the others ran to find their first duel.

**Near a Forest**

After a while, they slowed down to a walk and contemplated on what to do. "So, what are you planning to do, Yugi? What's your plan?" Joey asked. "I've made up my mind. I'll fight against Weevil first. I might as well stick with him. After all, we do have a score to deal with…" Yugi answered. "I was hopin' you'd say that! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Joey exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.

"Uh, Yugi, isn't that him?" Téa pointed out to the forest path of a fork in the road. There was Weevil with his signature smirk, barely seeable in the distance.

"Huh? Weevil! Weevil! I challenge you to a Duel!" Yugi exclaimed. Without an answer, Weevil turned around and ran into the forest. "Ahahahahahahaha!" Weevil laughed as he disappeared into the woods.

"I can't believe it! Weevil's runnin' away! That's low!" Joey exclaimed, as his friend ran after him, with that, he and the others joined the chase. "Wait! Weevil!" Yugi demanded as they entered the forest. "Hey, Wait up!" Joey exclaimed running after his friend.

As they reached the deep part of the forest, a swarm of moths appeared and formed a thick cloud, making it hard to see through them. "Whoa! Where're all these moths coming from?!" Tristan exclaimed, "We won't make it like this!" "Ugh! This is disgusting! How long does he plan to run for?" Téa complained. "I just hope these aren't the poisonous kind of moth!" Satomi stated.

"He's fast for a small guy!" Tristan said. "Maybe you're just too slow for a big guy!" Téa shot back. "The coach at school not pushing you hard enough?" Satomi teased.

"We're never gonna catch up to 'im! As long as the whole island's in bounds, he'll keep runnin' all day!" Joey complained, "Who came up with the rule that makes this whole island the battlefield anyway?!" "Pegasus," Satomi answered, "I told you he's eccentric."

"What's Weevil up to? He's wanted to Duel with me ever since we met on the ship, so what is he running for. And this whole island is a Dueling Battlefield. Something's been bothering me…why do we need a large field for a little card game?" Yugi thought to himself as he recalled his discussion with Weevil on the boat, "Wait a minute… What'd he say on the boat?! This must have to do with the tournament's new rules! So I better figure out what…and fast!"

Then a thought struck him like lightning. "That's it! So this is what you meant there would be new rules in the Duelist Kingdom. I see Weevil. So that's what you meant, Weevil!" Yugi exclaimed.

Then the gang reached a clearing in the forest, where a particular cockroach was waiting for them. "There 'e is!" Joey exclaimed. "Welcome, sand the spider to the fly! You flew right into my trap…again!" Weevil exclaimed, "Yugi, I at this moment, challenge you to a duel!"

"I'll never forgive you! It's time you pay for what you did on the boat, Weevil!" Yugi exclaimed as he recalled Weevil's underhanded act from the boat.

Then the Millennium Puzzle glowed its golden light, and it once again enveloped Yugi. When the light diminished, the Mysterious Yugi had once again appeared.

"What? Is it just me or did Yugi suddenly get taller just now?" Satomi asked, batting her eyes in confusion. "Are you losin' it, Tomes? That moth dust getting to you?" Joey jeered. "Wha…? He got taller, I tell you! I saw it with my own eyes!" Satomi snapped, feeling insulted. "I think Satomi's right," Téa stated, observing her childhood friend.

"Huh! All right, Weevil, I praise you for challenging me head-on," Yugi said, "Time to see if you're as good at Dueling as you are at running away!"

"Was I running away, or cleverly weaving you into my web!" Weevil asked, "If I crush you from the start, I won't even break a sweat later on!" "I was just thinking the same thing! It's time to duel!" Yugi countered.

"Hehehehe…As you WIISSSHHHH! Duel Standby!" Weevil exclaimed. As the words rang out, the ground started to shake. "Ah! What's going on? An Earthquake!" Tristan asked. "I hope not, we're on an island!" Satomi exclaimed.

"Weevil gave an evil laugh as if he anticipated this to happen. "This is…What have you done?" Yugi started to say. Happen big was happening and it was the start of the tournament for him.

The ground rumbles as a glowing light appeared and the pieces of the earth on either side split apart revealing them to be two sides of a metal door with all sorts of mechanisms underneath. "Whoa! The entire ground is transforming!" Tristan exclaimed, and a large object appeared and rose out of the ground. It was a Duel Arena!

"It's gigantic!" Téa exclaimed. "That's my brother's design!" Satomi exclaimed, recognizing the machine. "Man! These Duels aren't going to be like the ones back home! Joey stated. "No kidding, Genius," Satomi deadpanned.

"You've just stepped into a hornet's nest, and there's no way out!" Weevil exclaimed. "What is that?" Yugi asked. "This is the Duel Stage of the Kingdom! The Duel Ring!" Weevil exclaimed. "So this is…" Yugi said.

"So, these giant arenas are set up all over the island?" Joey asked. "It seems that way," Satomi stated, "Where else are the Duelists supposed to do?"

"Well now, shall we get started?" Weevil suggested as he ran to the Duel Ring, "I'll just meet you on the field." "I don't like this. Weevil's a little too cocky." Joey stated as Weevil jumped onto the red podium of the Ring and Yugi took the blue one. "There's not much choice, Joey," Satomi said.

"I noticed that you have just one measly Star Chip, Yugi. I guess that means I'll have the pleasure of eliminating you from the tournament! If I steal it from you, you'll be knocked out of the tournament immediately! Once you're gone, everyone else's Chips will be easy pickings!" Weevil said.

"Not if I take your two first!" Yugi declared. "What?!" Weevil exclaimed. "This will be an all or nothing Duel for the both of us," Yugi explained, "One of us, you or me, will be utterly crushed!" "Ha! But Yugi, what will you bet in place of that other Star Chip?" Weevil asked, "Why should I risk both my Star Chips when you only have one!" "Because I have something I think you want, my whole Duel Monsters deck!" Yugi exclaimed, "I'll bet my life as a Duelist."

"So! You'd risk your Grandpa's deck? Now that's interesting. Very well. Fine with me! Eheheheheheheh! Had I know this would happen, I wouldn't have wasted Exodia like that. Winning your deck will be an easy way to exterminate you once and for all," Weevil started.

"Exterminate? Yugi!" Téa exclaimed out of worry and revolt. "Swat that little twerp like a mosquito!" Joey exclaimed, "Kick that bug's butt!" "Watch out, Yugi! Weevil's known for being a great strategist, but he's also known to play unfair when the chance arises!" Satomi warned, "Try to be one step ahead of him at all times!"

Then three Duelists appeared from behind the gang. "Whoa! Hey guys, Sounds like a Duel is about to start over there!" one of the Duelists shouted out to his friends." That'sWeevil Underwood, Japan's Regional Champion and…who's that? Who's the other guy?" another asked.

"That guy is Yugi Muto. The one who beat Kaiba. An' I happen to be his best friend, Joey Wheeler. An' these three? These three are our chummy buddies and trespassers," Joey said. At this statement, the other three friends groaned and fell over. "DO YOU HAVE TO CALL US TRESPASSERS!" Satomi snapped as she got back up on her feet.

Despite the little quarrel of the friends, the other three Duelists were amazed. "Weevil and Yugi?! We are seeing an elite Duel right from the start!" the Duelist exclaimed, "I figured I wasn't ever going to witness a Weevil Underwood and Yugi Muto Duel until the last round!" "Weevil's the regional champ of Japan; no new guy's got a chance against him!" another exclaimed. "That's what they would have said about him before he faced Seto and looked what happened," Satomi stated.

"Well, Yugi, my adoring fans are waiting for my victory so, we should begin now!" Weevil exclaimed as the holographic tower lights up, "Let's go, Yugi!" Weevil exclaimed "Duel!" both opposing Duelists shouted, starting the match.

"Let's see how you like my insect monster, Killer Needle in Attack Mode!" Weevil exclaimed as the holographic projectors projected a vicious looking giant wasp buzzing loudly. "You'll have to get past my fiend monster, the Mammoth Graveyard first!" Yugi countered as he summoned the skeleton of a wooly mammoth onto the field, "The Attack Power is the same for these monsters! This massive monster Mammoth will match your annoying insect point for point! Attack!"

"Here comes 's counterattack! Killer Needle, show the Mammoth your stinger! Beat the Mammoth! Attack!" Weevil ordered the insect which stung its stinger into the charging mammoth who then recoiled in pain. "No!" Yugi exclaimed as his monster disappeared.

"Ha! Gone after one sting? He must be allergic!" Weevil bragged. "Their Attack Power was the same, yet my monster was beaten!" Yugi exclaimed confused as he was starting to get scared, "I don't get it! Both creatures were evenly matched! It should've been a stalemate!"

"Yugi, you don't seem to get why I chose the Forest Field as the location of our Duel. Shall I tell you? Take a good look at the Ring's Field. If you just look around the Duel Ring, then you will see that this area is an exact replica of our surrounding environment. My area is shown very clearly along with the display. The Field we're battling on right now is 50% Forest, while only 50% is made of Wasteland. One part wasteland and the other part forest. And who prospers in the forest? Bugs! The toughest, most powerful insects rule the forest! The Forest Field works best with my Insect cards. And because of that, my insect cards benefit from the Field Power Bonus, and they receive a 30% power boost for both their Attack and Defense Points! So as long as I place my bug cards in the forest area, I get a Field Power Bonus!" Weevil explained as the Attack Points of the Killer Needle went from 1200 to 1560 and the Defense Points from 100 to 1300, "I guess you just weren't paying attention when Pegasus said that this tournament would have thrilling new twists for us! Maybe if you were clever enough to steal the tournament's arcane rules like I have, you'd be getting the Field Power Bonus instead of me! Ahahahaha!"

"Really? This Ring had a field effect right from the start?" Joey asked, "Argh! That Cheater, he cheated! He led us here cause he knew he'd have an unfair advantage!" "That's what I said from the start!" Satomi exclaimed, "He did the same underhanded tactics from when Seto faced him before!"

"Go ahead, call me a cheater; you're just envious that you didn't steal the tournament rules for yourselves! And because of that, little Yugi's about to get stung!" Weevil bragged, "Yugi, there's no way you'll win when faced with my Insect cards!"

"Ha, ha, ha!" Yugi laughed.

"What?! W-What's so funny, Yugi? How can you be laughing!" Weevil demanded. "Because; take a good look at your ferocious Killer Needle now, Weevil," Yugi stated. "What?" Weevil exclaimed.

The Killer Needle began to glow, exploded, and then disappeared. "What? Oh no! My Killer Needle!" My monster! What have you done with my Monster?! Ugh!" Weevil exclaimed.

Weevil looked down on his console and saw that not only didn't Yugi's Lifepoints decreased, but the Attack Points of the Mammoth Graveyard were the same as the Killer Needle's! "This makes no sense! My creature was supercharged with a Filed Power Bonus! But according to this, Yugi's monster somehow became just as powerful!" Weevil thought to himself, but then he realized something, "Shoot! Yugi's Mammoth Graveyard is a card most suited for the Wasteland Field! So his monster also received a Field Power Bonus from the Field?!"

"Looks like my Mammoth Graveyard got a Field Power Bonus from the wasteland area just like your bugs do from the forest!" Yugi declared. "Rrrgh! The advantage was supposed to be mine and mine alone!" Weevil complained. "Also Weevil, I knew about the new rules from the moment I arrived here! Too bad for you!" Yugi exclaimed. "So you realized what the new rules for the Kingdom were…?!" Weevil growled.

."I kept pondering about something on the voyage here, Weevil. Why were we coming to some remote island just to duel? Why did Pegasus purposely make this particular island the Duel location? That was bugging me for a while. But as soon as I saw this display grid, the answer to that question became clear, it all came together. Every monster has a kind of field that it does best on, kind of like a home-field advantage. And what makes this island so unique, is that it contains every kind of environment imaginable. You select the monsters you duel with based on the type of Field Power Bonus they receive, and you can strengthen your cards as a result. Meaning the key is to choose the Field that best suits your cards. So when you intentionally led us to this spot, you were clearly hoping to get some kind of field advantage. Weevil, it was because you lured me into this forest that I discovered this. I must thank you," Yugi explained.

"Rrrgh… heeheeheeheeheheheheh! Just as I expected Yugi! You figured things out even this far! You're awfully clever to put it together like that, Yugi! But figuring out a single rule won't be enough! But the new rules in this Kingdom extend beyond the Field Power Bonus. There's still something you aren't aware of hidden among these rules! There are surprises concealed under every rock, and I know them all!" Weevil gloated.

"Go, Yugi! You can beat him!" Téa exclaimed. "Finish off that brat! Don't let that flea scar ya! He's bluffin'!" Joey cheered. "That's unfair dueling 101!" Satomi advised.

"Really? Then let's just see how you deal with this bluff," Weevil challenged as he placed a giant purple horned beetle on the field whose Attack Points went from 1500 to 1950, "My next card is Hercules Beetle. And because I placed it in the Forest Field, it's Attack Points increase by 30%! My Hercules Beetle will find a way under your skin!"

"Ahh…! Even though I know about the Field Power Bonus now, it's too late to rebuild my deck now. 50% of the Field is Forest, the rest is Wasteland. But I don't have any cards suitable for this field. I guess a combo attack would have to be my best bet," Yugi thought to himself,

"I play Feral Imp in Attack Mode! And now, I'll add this Magic Card, Horn of the Unicorn, so its magic will raise my Attack Points by 700," Yugi said as he placed a catlike green creature and added a golden horn to it, raising its Attack Points from 1300 to 2000.

"Heeheehee! Don't think you'll win that easily! You'll have to do a whole lot better than that! Hercules Beetle Attack!" Weevil ordered. "Feral Imp, Magic Lightning Attack!" Yugi commanded.

The Feral Imp had used the Electricity to shock the Beetle, but there was no effect, and the Imp took a hit in the Chest and then disappeared.

"The Magic Lightning didn't work at all! Yugi's attack didn't even faze that thing!" Téa exclaimed. "What's going on? Something's screwy!" Joey asked. "I think we're going to find out in a bit," Satomi stated.

"My Imp's Magic Lightning Attack should've demolished your Beetle; is this another trick, Weevil?!" Yugi interrogated. "No, Yugi, I just thought you already knew that all monsters with a Field Power Bonus were also resilient to any type of magic attack! Weevil exclaimed in a nasty innocent tone.

"Could it be…? A monster powered up by the Field Power Bonus…is immune to magic?" Yugi asked. "Exactly! A monster powered up with magic is useless against one powered up with the Field Power Bonus! A monster can only prevail with its natural form! And since my Hercules Beetle easily ricocheted your lightning bolts, he has more power left to destroy your puny Feral Imp, and remain to eat away at your Life Points! Heracles Beetle holds 1950 Attack Points. The natural Attack points are 1300! The difference will be reduced from your Life Points!" Weevil explained as Yugi's Life Points went from 2000 to 1350.

"An Insect card with that little Attack Power can become very strong, due to the Field Power Bonus…!" Joey exclaimed, "Even that four-eyed tick's weakest bugs are gonna be tough to beat, so long as he's got that Field Power Bonus," Joey stated. "Doesn't that mean that Insect Jerk's got the Home Field Advantage!" Tristan added. "Unfortunately, yes," Satomi said, "These Field Power Bonus rules are going to be a complicated handful." "Yeah, but it's not like it can just be turned off," Tristan stated.

"That Weevil's a no good cheat! Yugi, don't give up!" Téa encouraged. "Yeah! Don't forget the Heart of the Cards! You beat my brother, and he beat Weevil before, so you can do it too!" Satomi stated.

"Now Yugi, it's your turn," Weevil said. "Make your move!" Yugi was really starting to sweat from Weevil's unfair advantage with his pre-attained knowledge of the tournament rules.

"I don't have any available cards in my hand to beat Heracles Beetle. Maybe I should use my next card to defend. By placing my card in Defense Mode, my monster will take a hit, but my Lifepoints will be spared," Yugi thought to himself as he set a monster.

"So, we're defending now, are we? Very clever! I can't believe you keep running away. I guess victory's as good as mine. Don't tell me you beat Kaiba by pure luck? Since I can't know your monster's Defense Points from my side, I can't be sure I can defeat it, but even your toughest monster can't stand against my Basic Insect!" Weevil bragged as he placed the same Monster he used to win the Regional Championships, "Not only does he get the Field Power Bonus, but I'm upgrading him with a Level Three Laser Cannon, and a Level Two Power Boost! "It's ready; my sure-kill combo! This way, the monster receives a four-way power up!" the Monster's Attack Power was now 650.

"No! His insect's so strong now, my defense won't stand a chance, and after it falls, my Lifepoints are next!" Yugi thought to himself, "This is the strongest Bug Duelist in Japan for you! This is the all-powerful combo from Weevil Underwood!"

"Now, Yugi, for all the sweet little bugs you've squashed, stamped, crumpled, or fumigated, it's payback time!" Weevil exclaimed, "ATTACK!"

The Insect fired its Laser Cannon at the defensive monster, Yugi ducked his head, using the podium to shield him from the blast. And the sizeable pinkish monster was blown away.

"So your platoon was Griffor? In the end, you aren't a match for me at all!" Weevil gloated, "Heheheheheh, you'll have to do much better than that if you hope to survive my bug's laser-powered arsenal!"

"Then I'll play this card," Yugi said, placing another Defense Card in play, "Defense Mode! My cards, you have to endure it!"

"Hmm. It must be another weak card. No monster in existence is strong enough to block my Insect combo! But beating a bunch of small fries over and over doesn't sound like fun. That card must be another Defense Card without a doubt. And I'll make sure shielding himself is all he can do! Heheheh!" Weevil thought to himself as he placed another card on the field, "So I'll set this secret card face-down on the field, I'm going to have you remain on the defensive! Attack me now with any monster, and you will instantly activate this trap card!"

"Joey, what's that card?" Tristan asked. "He said it's a Trap Card?" Joey answered. "Oh, no! That Weevil's got Yugi cornered!" Tristan exclaimed. "Yeah, he can't even counterattack!" Joey added. 'Calm down, the game's not over until the last card is drawn," Satomi said.

"The Moment Yugi declares an attack, a trap card will appear that'll wipe his monsters out! Parasite Worm!" Weevil thought to himself. "As long as my Trap Card stays in play, you're helpless to move against me! So does my web make you squirm?" Weevil jeered to Yugi.

"So my attack's been sealed off…! All I can do is trust in the cards I set," Yugi thought to himself as he set down another face-down card.

"Did you set a Magic Card to bluff your way out of this cruelest situation? Behold Yugi, as my Insect Army completely dominate the filed! That's not enough! What's wrong? Aren't you gonna attack? In every turn, the number of monsters will increase," Weevil stated as he placed Gokibore, Big Insect, and Kamakiriman on the field, "Face it, Yugi. I've got you pinned down! And while you're totally unable to attack me, I can attack you anytime I want! Each turn you cower, I summon a new monster! Keep drawing, Yugi! My army of Insects just keeps getting bigger! I'm going to destroy all your monsters in one bug bombardment!"

"It's no good! The Monster Cards in my hand aren't…!" Yugi thought to himself, feeling really tense. But then a thought occurred to him and he gains confidence in his eyes again.

"The way it's going, his enemies will keep increasing," Téa exclaimed. "Even if you say that, Yugi's attack's been sealed!" Joey exclaimed.

"I don't know about that guys, he seems a little different now," Satomi stated. "What do you mean?" Tristan asked. "Well, just look at him," she pointed to him.

The gang looked up and saw that a fire was burning in Yugi's eyes, meaning he wasn't giving up. "You're right! Just look at our Yugi he looks so confident up there!" Téa exclaimed. "I know! When he's duelin', it's like he becomes a completely different guy!" Joey added. "I wonder if that's true," Satomi said to herself.

"He's so busy boasting, he's not paying attention at all to my moves. Maybe I can set a trap of my own," Yugi thought to himself as he set yet another card.

"Today is the last day as a Duelist for you. My Insects will win here and celebrate with a giant parade!" Weevil exclaimed as his field was now filled with monstrous bugs.

"That's right, Weevil. Go ahead and put all your monsters on the field, that's exactly what I'm counting on!" Yugi thought to himself as he had a plan to turn this Duel around.

"Heeheehee, well what do you know! I'm down to my last monster insect, and you know what that means, Yugi! You're about to be exterminated!" Weevil exclaimed. "We'll see what my deck have to say about that!" Yugi countered as he draws another card and it was a card he was most familiar with.

"Yes! The Dark Magician! This is perfect; this is one of my trump cards, there's no way Weevil can resist him as a target! Though he can't attack," Yugi thought to himself, "I'm counting on you, Dark Magician.".

"All right, Weevil, I defend with the Dark Magician!" Yugi declared as he placed the card facedown, "Defense Mode!" "What's Yugi thinking?!" Satomi exclaimed, getting nervous for her friend. "Working on a plan?" Téa suggested.

"Excellent, I'll terminate your very favorite card first! Now my pet! Power up your laser cannon! Heheheheheheh!" Weevil snickered, "No matter what card you use, it's all futile before my Insect Army! Go, Basic Insect with Laser Cannon…your target is that card! Attack!"

The cannon of the Basic Insect charges ready to fire on the Dark Magician. But then Yugi did something unexpected. "Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm," he chuckled.

"What! Why are you laughing?! What's so funny?" Weevil demanded. "Weevil! You said 'attack'' just now, did you not?" Yugi asked. "What's?!" Weevil exclaimed.

"Weevil, you're not the only one here who can set a Trap Card," Yugi explained, "Have you forgotten that I set one card out before? "You were so busy showboating you paid no attention to the cards I put into play," Yugi stated.

"Could it be…a Trap Card?!" Weevil asked in horror, realizing that he had doomed himself, "But I thought they were all Monster Cards!" Weevil stated.

"Not at all. While you overloaded the field with your bug monsters, I prepared a special surprise, the power of my Mirror Force Trap Card, the Holy Barrier! My Opponent calling out attack become the switch that activates it," Yugi announced.

"Retreat! Hold your fire!" Weevil shouted. But it was no use, the cannon was already fired, and the Dark Magician appeared along with a shield of light. "It's too late, Weevil, you've already ordered your assault on my Dark Magician. And the Holy Barrier, Mirror Force will deflect it right back at you!" Yugi exclaimed.

As soon as the laser hit the barrier, it was deflected and refracted into several beams that wiped out of all Weevil's monsters.

"My Insect Army was…" Weevil said, "Ugh, …my Life Points are devastated!" In one fell swoop, Weevil's Life Points went from being utterly untouched to a mere sliver of 555 Points.

"Yes!" Yugi cheered to himself. "Alright!" Tristan and Joey exclaimed. "Hey! Yeah, Yugi!" Téa exclaimed. "Way to go!" Joey exclaimed. "What a way to turn it around! I doubt my brother could do better!" Satomi exclaimed.

"He obliterated my army of beautiful bugs…! How dare he!" Weevil thought to himself, "Yugi! You outsmarted my strategy yet again?"

"You're a liar and a cheater, Weevil; but it was your overconfidence that allowed me to get the best of you. Your insects are decimated; your Lifepoints are low; and as you said before, you have used up all your monsters! I guess you became Japan's Regional Champion by pure luck. You're too confident in your strategy. And you didn't pay attention to my card. Let me say this clearly, Weevil…you're too weak!" Yugi declared.

"Heheheheheheh! Actually, I lied about using up all my monsters too!" Weevil admitted. "Huh!" Yugi exclaimed. "Should have seen that coming!" Satomi facepalmed.

"I Still have my most arduous creature waiting in the wings! And this unsurmountable insect will swat you down once and for all!" Weevil exclaimed, priding in the monster let to come. Yugi could only grimace as he knew that the Duel was only half over. And it was going to be the biggest fight yet!

_**Thank you for reading and see you again in two weeks from today!**_


	8. Duel 007

_**Duel 007**_

_**Back with Yugi and Weevil's Duel:**_

Weevil's field was still smoking from the beating he received earlier. "I-i-i-igh…!" Weevil grunted under his breath, irritated that he was reduced to a small amount of Life Points so fast.

"Ha! Awesome! Great play, Yuge!" Joey said, "How's that, Bug Brat?!" "He rubbed out Weevil's army in one move!" Tristan exclaimed, "The likes of you, Weevil, can't beat Yugi!" "Goes back to the old saying, that Cheaters never prosper!" Satomi stated. "All right! Go, Yugi! You've got him on the ropes!" Téa cheered, "This will be a breeze!"

"Ahaha! Yeah, right!" a familiar voice called out. "Huh?" Téa said as she and the others turned around to see a blonde they already know. "Mai!" Tristan and Joey exclaimed.

"I wonder about that. Yugi has only taken a slight lead in this match. Duel Monsters is the type of game where you don't know what will happen in one turn. It's too to get excited," Mai explained, "Also, you losers don't seem to understand who your little friend is up against. Weevil is Regional Champion. He has moves that your little shrimp couldn't even dream of!"

Téa was not particularly fond of Mai. "Oh, that Mai! She's always pushing in with her big mouth! How can this woman be so arrogant?! What the heck?" Téa thought to herself, "Well, I'm not going to let her trash my friends!"

"Yugi just took the lead here!" Téa snapped, "And no one asked your opinion! So why don't you take a hike!"

"And miss the opportunity to watch a champion like Weevil, as he turns this around? No way," Mai stated, "Weevil Underwood is Japan's Regional Champion. The real Duel has just begun,"

"Yeah, I mean Weevil had really come from behind to win the Regionals," Joey agreed with a blush on his face, "So, I also agree with Mai's stance on this one, Téa," "I thought that as well," Tristan agreed with a blush on his face as well, "He's tough and sneaky."

"Whose side are you goofballs on anyway?!" Téa demanded. "You better not be just saying that because of a pretty face," Satomi warned.

"Look all I'm sayin' is, for Yugi, this is his first official Duel," Joey explained, "To put it simply, Yugi will win. But he can't let his guard down either," "That's true," Satomi agreed. "I think so too," Tristan agreed again, "And not to mention, he's fightin' a champ." "I hate to admit it, but Mai's actually partially speaking from experience," Satomi stated, "It's too early to say who the winner is, it's a don't count the chickens before they hatch situation here."

"Mhmm!" Mai chuckled. Téa was frustrated about what her friends were saying, while they were looking at things more realistically, they should still have more faith in their friend.

"Oh, Mai, you troublemaker! You think you know so much, but Yugo will show you!" Téa thought to herself, "I'm so gonna Duel this woman one of these days!"

"Yugi, show me if your skills are what they say they are," Mai thought to herself. Indeed, she was very interested in seeing how the Duelist who beat the undefeatable Seto Kaiba Duels.

"Yugi, you'll regret making me serious!" Weevil threatened, "You may have crushed my army of bugs, Yugi, but you haven't won yet! I have plenty of little tricks up my sleeve!"

"You've done a lot of buzzing throughout this entire Duel, Weevil, but I'm still here waiting for the sting," Yugi countered, "Put your complaints in all your cards. I'll wipe the floor with them!"

"Savor the mood while you can! I still have the ultimate trump card among my Insect cards. As soon as I play that card, my victory will be assured. Yugi, your life as a Duelist will be over soon!" Weevil said as he drew his next card, "And since you're new to this Dueling competition thing, I'll try to make this easy for you. I'm gonna wipe that ridiculous smirk from your face! Now let's see which lucky insect gets to take the first bite! Heheheheheheheh…"

"Oh! But this little guy won't stand a chance against all your vicious monsters! Oh, well, I'll just play him in Defense Mode," Weevil declared all too innocently as he placed it on the field. "Heheheheheheheh!" Weevil chuckled to himself. "Come attack it, Yugi," he baited.

"Huh. That would've been a good bluff, but I still haven't forgotten about the Trap Card you played!" Yugi said as he thought back to his earlier bluff, "I'm not going to fall for that. Because that Trap Card is still lying in wait…"

"He didn't snare me then, and he's not gonna trap me now. Once I declare an attack, all the monsters on my field will be destroyed. If the high Attack Power Dark Magician is done in along with the other two, my Life Points will be cut down by a great amount. To eliminate the risk, I need to come up with a method to stop his Card. Weevil's Trap Card will trigger as soon as I call an attack, and, it'll destroy all the Monsters I have on the field. But what if I get all my monsters off the field first, and then destroy Weevil's Trap! Oh, that's it!" Yugi thought to himself.

"I'll spring your trap, Weevil! But first, I'll play the Monster Recovery Card! It allows me to bring back all the Monsters I have on the field! Now Monsters, return to the Cards! Now your trap has nothing to catch. And once my creatures are all safely back in my deck, the Recovery Card also lets me draw a new hand," Yugi explained as he returned the Dark Magician to his Deck and shuffle and drew five new cards.

"So, he had that trick up his sleeve?" Weevil thought to himself. "All I need to do now is to give up one of my weaker monsters, and your trap is sprung. Kuriboh Attack!" Yugi ordered.

"Aww! It's so cute!" Satomi exclaimed. It was indeed a cutie! A little brown furball with green arms and legs and innocent wide eyes. Hard to believe it was a monster by looking at him.

"Aiissh! No!" Weevil exclaimed as his Trap Card was activated. It was a nasty worm-like creature with about a dozen tendrils in its mouth. It launched itself at Kuriboh who swelled up and exploded.

"Now your Trap Card is gone. And now my turn is over," Yugi said as his Life Points only dropped by three hundred Points, "Trap Cards only work when they catch you by surprise. Next time don't give your plan away!"

"Heeheeheeheehahahahaha! I didn't! I don't give a bee's rear end about that Stupid trap!" Weevil exclaimed, "That went Exactly as I planned!" "What? Huh?" Yugi exclaimed.

"I tricked you into recollecting your monsters, so you couldn't attack this!" Weevil said as he flipped over his Monster, "Let me show the card I played!" Weevil said.

The monster was revealed to be a green caterpillar monster wiggling around as its Attack Points went from 500 to 650 and its Defense from 400 to 520.

"It's just a tiny Larvae Moth. That tiny thing can't be much of a threat. What's Weevil up to now?" Yugi thought to himself, "Wait a minute, Larvae Moth. Both its Attack Power and Defense Power are meager. Darn you, Weevil! Going for a combo?"

"Heheheheheheheh! Sure, he's just a little guy now, but the Cocoon of Evolution will change all that!" Weevil announced, "This is my trump card!" "What?" Yugi exclaimed.

"Join together with the Larvae Moth!" Weevil commanded, "Isn't it beautiful!" Silken strands starting to form around the Larvae as a squishing sound was heard. "Ugh…" Yugi groaned, being both nervous and more disgusted.

"Ew. That's just gross," Téa carped, "Wh-What's that anyway?" "Weevil's moth's sealin' itself inside the cocoon," Joey stated.

"Weevil Underwood is finally showing us his true power," Mai thought to herself, "I told those chumps Weevil would turn this Duel around."

By the time, the Larvae stopped moving, there was just a large pinkish wrinkly oblong shell. Holding it upright was several strands of web. Although it was still, the sickening squishing sounds could be heard.

"Behold! My Cocoon of Evolution! Hahahahaha! Within the Cocoon sits my tiny little Larvae Moth! And throughout the next five turns, he will undergo a startling transformation, from harmless caterpillar to unstoppable Great Moth! For five turns, Larvae Moth will be evolving and will become the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth! And then there's nothing that can beat the Great Moth!" Weevil boasted.

"Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth?" Yugi asked, "Then I'll crack your Cocoon before that Happens!"

"Easier said than done, Yugi! For the Cocoon of Evolution also gets a Field Power Bonus from the Wilderness around us, increasing its Defense Points! It'll be so strong, you won't be able to scratch its surface! Just five more short turns, Yugi! In five turns, the Great Moth will fully develop and finish you off!" Weevil exclaimed as the Defense Points went from 2000 to 2600, "No monster can penetrate through its current defenses! The current Attack Points of your card can't even scratch it! Yugi just five turns! In five turns, my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth will beat you!"

"This is bad! After it's fully evolved, I will have no way of winning! If I don't destroy the Cocoon before that happens," Yugi thought to himself as he imagined the little worm growing inside there, "If what Weevil says is true, which I doubt, I'd better act quick. That thing's getting larger and stronger with each passing turn!"

"I have to find a way to open the Cocoon now! I can't let that Moth get to the fifth stage of development. But do I have a card that powerful enough to stop it? Hmm…" Yugi thought to himself.

Then he saw a card and then summoned it. "Gaia the Fierce Knight! Spiral Saber! Shatter that Cocoon!" Yugi ordered. The knight and his horse charged the Cocoon with his lances, but the Cocoon only wiggled like jelly, and the horse reared and shied away from the Cocoon.

"Ah! Gaia's attack was reflected!" Joey exclaimed, "The Field Power Bonus makes it too strong!" Joey exclaimed.

"Useless! Useless! Useless!" Weevil taunted, "That's one turn down! Care to try again? Ahahahahahaha!" Weevil taunted.

"No use…It's not strong enough to penetrate the Cocoon's Defense Points. Powered by the Field Power Bonus. If I keep wasting attacks, my Life Points will just continue to drop," Yugi thought to himself as his Life Points drop to 750, "Weevil's Cocoon is gonna be hard to crack; and for each bout that fails, my Life Points go down."

"Oh no…Yugi!" Téa exclaimed. "Hang tough, Yugi, you'll pop that pus-bag!" Joey rooted, "Don't let some cocoon give you so much trouble!"

"Ahahahaha," Mai laughed. "What's so funny?" Téa asked, sharply irritated, "Just what do you think you're laughing at?"

"All that stupid cheerleading you're doing. You guys don't know anything. It's only natural that Yugi would be struggling so much. I mean, you make it sound like your Yugi has a chance," Mai stated. "Nngh, of course, he does!" Téa snapped.

"Don't listen to her, Téa," Joey said, as he grabbed her through the arms. "Yeah, she's only trying to wile us up," Satomi stated.

"What do you mean by that exactly, Mai?" Joey asked. "I'm afraid to say that no one's ever been able to break through that Cocoon of Evolution Combo," Mai explained. "What did you say?" Tristan and Joey yelled. "Any Duelist that's ever gone against Weevil's Cocoon of Evolution has been totally trashed," Mai answered.

"Nngh!" Téa grunted in irritation! "All of them?!" Joey and Tristan exclaimed.

"What about Seto Kaiba?" Satomi asked into her hand. "Excellent point there. Seto Kaiba had beaten Weevil long before he drew those cards," Mai answered. "That's right! Seto defeated him in record time in the last tournament he was in. So, Weevil probably never even drew the cards he needed to do the Combo," Satomi thought to herself as she remembered the last time her brother competed.

"So, you mean Yugi's going to lose?" Téa asked, concerned. "Hm!" Mai answered. "But, Yugi's got us to help him out," Téa stated.

"He'll need a lot more than you losers!" Mai thought to herself, "So, what are you going to do, Yugi?"

"Do you hear it growing?! The more time that you waste, the more powerful it becomes!" Weevil taunted, "Give it up! None of your cards can scratch it!"

"Even if I use a combo, none of the cards in my hand can deflect the Cocoon's Defense Points. What can I do?" Yugi thought to himself, "If I don't come up with something quickly, I'm not just gonna lose this Duel, I'll miss my only way to save my Grandfather. There's no way I can let that come to pass!"

"Tick-tock, tick-tock. Just four more short turns until my ultimate Great Moth appears! Then you can stop fretting about how you're going to destroy it and start worrying about how it's going to destroy you! Ahahahahahahaha!" Weevil said as he drew a new card, "Until the monster inside the Cocoon is fully evolved into its Ultimate Form, I can't play any other cards. So, I'll play my turns quietly, while inside, the Monster continues to evolve."

"Maybe I should start a defense, in case I really can't stop that thing," Yugi thought to himself as he placed the Beaver Warrior on the field. "I'll use this card to defend for now," Yugi announced.

"Huh! You're hiding like a coward again. Didn't you say something about destroying the Cocoon?" Weevil mocked, "You're just wasting that turn! No defending will save your Life Points once my Moth is out!"

"This isn't good. It's going to evolve this turn again before I can do anything," Yugi thought to himself again as he and Weevil drew a new card, "I must work out a plan to turn this Duel around! Weevil's self-assured that whatever's growing in that cocoon is invincible, but there's gotta be some way to bust that thing open and wipe that smirk off his face! But how?"

"Only two turns left until the end of the birth of the Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth. I win this Duel!" Weevil mocked again.

"Hang in there, Yugi, you can't lose!" Téa exclaimed. "I won't ever forgive you if you lose here!" Joey warned, "Ya gotta win this for your Grandpa! He's countin' on ya!" "I know he is…" Yugi said, "But what should I do?"

"Then you can't just keep lettin' this little creep push you around! I don't want to watch you lose like this, Yugi! Ya gotta get fired up! Get fire up!" Joey shouted. "Fired up? Wait…That it! Get fired up!" Yugi realized.

"So, do you guys sit around and come up these pathetic cheers, or do they just come naturally to you? I mean, don't you understand that your pep-talk nonsense only distracts Yugi from the game?" Mai asked the quartet of friends, "A Duelist can only believe in themselves when the game begins. Cheap insignificant words are of no help to them whatsoever."

"No, they'll get through. Our hearts will reach Yugi! And Yugi will definitely win!" Téa argued back, "But how would you ever know? I bet no one's ever wanted to be your friend, let alone cared enough to cheer you on," Téa argued back. "Whoa! Téa, easy on the insults!" Satomi exclaimed.

"You people are as naïve as ever," Mai countered, "Friends haven't helped Yugi any. He's losing." "Huh?!" Mai gasped as she saw the look on Yugi's face.

He gazed down on his friends, giving them a thumbs up. "Yeah! Hey!" Tristan exclaimed. "Yes! Alright!" Joey exclaimed. "Something tells me, he's gonna turn things around!" Satomi exclaimed.

"All right, Yugi! Well, Mai, See?! From the expression on Yugi's face. I'd say that having his friends just did help him out. A woman with nothing but pheromones wouldn't know anything about our friendship! So there!" Téa stated.

She gave Mai some raspberries and made faces at her, but she wasn't paying attention as she was more interested in the Duel. "Brat! What probable idea could Yugi have gotten from these mental morons?" Mai asked herself in her head, "Does this mean he's found a way to break through the current situation?"

"Alright, here I go! Go! Curse of Dragon! Take Flight! And I'll combine it! With this Magic Card! Combo Attack! Go! Attack, with Dragon Flame!" Yugi ordered. The scorpion-like dragon shrieked like an eagle as it breathed fire at the Cocoon, but it just bounced off onto the ground surrounding it.

"What do you think you are doing! You know your little dragonfly can't hurt my Cocoon!" Weevil exclaimed, "I thought I told you that was useless! Damage of that level won't even scratch my Cocoon!"

"Hmhmhmhm," Yugi chuckled. "What's so funny?" Weevil demanded. "Who said I was trying to attack the Cocoon? I was attacking the very forest itself!" Yugi exclaimed. "I had combined my Burning Land Magic Card with my Curse of Dragon, to destroy the forest all around your Cocoon!"

"No forest! Impossible! The Forest Field is burning up! That means…I lose my Field Power Bonus!" Weevil exclaimed.

"Exactly! Your Cocoon was too hard to attack directly, but without its Field Power Bonus, it's just a big target!" Yugi explained. "Aah!" Weevil yelled.

"Then the Cocoon of Evolution loses its power from the Forest Field. Its Defense is decreased dramatically. Now let's try this again! Gaia the Fierce Knight! Attack! Spiral Shaver! Destroy the Cocoon of Evolution!" Yugi ordered.

The knight charged again at the Cocoon, and this time, the lanced pierces the Cocoon, and it resonates from the hit! Leaving a large hole in its side!

"Alright! He did it!" Téa exclaimed. "Popped it open like a zit! Kill that Cocoon of Evolution!" Joey cheered. "Now who's getting exterminated?" Satomi taunted Weevil.

"Hehehehehee…" Weevil chuckled. "Huh?" Yugi exclaimed as he heard a squishing sound from inside the Cocoon.

"Huh?" Joey said as he and the others looked from side to side in confusion. "Wh-where's that cry coming from? Is it still alive?" Téa asked, looking around. "I've got a horrible feeling we're about to find out…" Joey said.

Then a call that sounded like a cross between an elk and donkey was heard. "Huh? What's with that?" Joey asked. "See anything?" Téa asked nervously.

The eerie cry was heard again along with some sloshing as the Cocoon became surrounded by dust. After looking, they saw something from inside. "It can't be…!" Mai exclaimed.

Then a sizeable green leg came from the Cocoon, shocking the spectators. "It's still…still movin'…!" Joey exclaimed as his friends gasped. "You're surprised?" Mai asked overcoming her own shock.

The Cocoon dissolved, and the creature from within, and the beast began to stand on its legs. "Huh!" Yugi exclaimed as the slime from the Cocoon started to slide off the animal, revealing it more and more. "Heheheheheheh!" Weevil chuckled not surprised at all.

"The monster inside the Cocoon…" Joey said, "It must've evolved enough to survive!" "Ugh!" Téa, Tristan, and Satomi exclaimed. "I told you Weevil was good," Mai said, "Just like the Rumors stated…"

"It's here! Here, here, here! This is my Great Moth's fourth stage of Evolution!" Weevil exclaimed, "I'm amazed that you penetrated my Cocoon, Yugi, but still you were powerless to stop the fruition of my ultimate Insect, the Great Moth!"

The Great Moth was a larger version of the Larvae only with wings. It was as tall and as wide as the podiums, yellow horn-like antennae, and eye patches on its sides. "So, this is the Great Moth…" Yugi exclaimed, "But I thought it took five turns." "Yeah, that's right!" Tristan shouted.

"The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth is the form above this Great Moth," Satomi began to explain, "Sometimes in the game, you can play the card lower than the complete form in an evolution combo. And the Duel Rings are designed to not accept illegal plays, so I'm afraid this move was fair." "Fair to Weevil, but not fair to Yugi!" Joey snapped.

"Heheheheh! So, you stopped him one turn early! He's still strong enough to beat you!" Weevil exclaimed, "Even though it didn't reach it's Perfectly Ultimate Form, this is still enough to beat you!"

"Oh no…Yugi!" Téa exclaimed out of worry, "Ha! I noticed that the dweebs aren't cheering for their little friend now! The Great Moth is an unconquerable Monster. They can cheer from the sidelines all they want, but it won't help Yugi one bit!" Mai thought to herself, "This is my first-time seeing Weevil Underwood's true trump card. The Great Moth…! Now with that, Weevil has an overwhelming advantage. Yugi's been pushed into a corner…"

"Ugh, Weevil turned this match around once more, but I'm not giving up!" Yugi thought to himself, "Though I did stop it from evolving to its Perfectly Ultimate Form…Now…"

"Heheheheheh! So, Yugi, feeling outclassed yet?! Or perhaps you're enjoying your first major league Dueling loss! Heeheeheeheeh!" Weevil taunted, "What happened to that confidence you had a moment ago, Yugi? Are you speechless in front of my Great Moth?"

"Hm. You may have gotten your esteemed Monster onto the field, Weevil, but I'll still find a way to squash that oversized bug!" Yugi countered, "I was just imagining it falling before me. I'm trying to think of a way to beat that over-sized Bug Monster."

"Ha! You'll pay for that cutting jab, with your Life Points!" Weevil exclaimed. "Duel!" Yugi exclaimed. "If you think you can, go on and try! Let's go! Battle! My turn! Great Moth, rise! Take flight!" Weevil commanded as the Great Moth began to flap its wings and took off into the air, ready to face the Curse of Dragon.

"Darn you, Weevil! I thought you would attack in the sky!" Yugi thought to himself. "So be it! We'll settle this in the skies!" Yugi exclaimed.

"Heh. Yugi's dragon is no competition for my Great Moth, and none of his land monsters can attack me in the air! Hehe! But which puny monster should I obliterate first!" Weevil thought to himself, "All of Yugi's Monster on the field right now, except Curse of Dragon cannot attack Great Moth from the air! Also, their Attack Power hardly makes them an enemy of the Great Moth. Next turn, I need to destroy Gaia the Fierce Knight first!"

"I think it's time I pay back your Knight, for demolishing my Cocoon!" Weevil proclaimed.

"My Knight! He's the heart of my attack force! There's no way I can lose him!" Yugi thought to himself, "This is bad! I will lose once he's killed!"

"This is it, Yugi! My Great Moth will destroy your defenses, slay your Knight, and blast your Dragon from the skies!" Weevil exclaimed, "Just give it up, Yugi! No matter what, your ground-ridden Gaia won't be able to take a step near the air-bound Great Moth!"

"Not if I can help it, Weevil! Nngh!" Yugi said as he slapped down a card, "Then I'll bet on this card!" "But that's just the thing, you can't help it! Moth! Hurricane Attack!" Weevil exclaimed.

"No! My Beaver Warrior! Ugh, my defense," Yugi exclaimed as the little purple beaver in dark blue armor, carrying a shield and sword as blown into pixels by the wind created by the Moth.

"No matter what card it is, it's useless! It's no use! No monster can stand against the gale-force winds of my Moth Hurricane! Your Knight will be totally blown away! Moth Hurricane! Super Effective! The Strong mist of wind created by its huge wings will destroy all the monsters on the ground! Gaia, the Fierce Knight's beaten!" Weevil exclaimed as winds obscure the field, making it seem that Gaia was destroyed.

"Hahahahaha! That'll show 'im to mess with my Cocoon!" Weevil exclaimed. "You sure about that?" Yugi asked, "Don't count on it." "Hmm?!" Weevil said.

"Weevil, you don't seem to understand the effect of the card I placed out on the field," Yugi said, "You were so busy fawning over your Moth, you didn't notice I played a Polymerization Card!"

"What? That is…! But…! I thought…!" Weevil exclaimed. "If I have two companionable Monsters on the field, I can use my Polymerization Card and fuse them into one ultimate creature," Yugi explained, "Fusion special Monsters of the Earth can be joined together. Gaia the Dragon Champion! The Polymerization card joins these two Monsters together."

"I'm not some novice, I know what fusion does!" Weevil exclaimed, "Gaia and Curse of Dragon fused together?!" "Then you must know it rises my Attack Points. My fused Dragon-Knight Combo is now strong enough to go head-to-head with your Great Moth!" Yugi exclaimed, "Now fused, they've become more powerful! Their Attack Power is now the same as your Great Moth. Now we can anticipate a battle in the air!"

The new monster was basically Gaia without the purple horse and was just placed on top of the Curse of Dragon. It was indeed stronger and ready to face the Moth in the spectacle filled the air.

"Hahahahahahahaha! I wouldn't be so sure about that! Its attack power increased, you say?! I wonder about that! Look again!" Weevil said, pointing to his opponent's Monster.

"Huh…? No…!" Yugi exclaimed as he saw that Gaia and his Dragon were losing Attack Points bit by bit as rust-colored patches appeared on both the Dragon and the Knight's bodies.

"What? Gaia's body…! My Knight. He's losing points. And fast. …But how? And why? Why's this happening? Yugi asked, then a thought occurred to him as he remembered the moths in the forest.

"That's it! It's poisonous particles!" Yugi exclaimed. "Heheheheh. You finally found this out? That's right, Great Moth's Moth Hurricane! It's poison, Yugi. Poison particles from my Great Moth. Each Time it uses its Hurricane Attack. When it used it to blow away the Monsters on the Ground, it spread the poisonous tiny toxic particles to all its enemy Monsters! And your precious Dragon-Knight Combo is being poisoned by their deadly touch! If you don't hurry up, the Dragon Champion's Attack Power will just keep decreasing! Ahahahahahaha!" Weevil exclaimed.

"This is bad… If his Attack Points continue to drop…and he is attacked by the Great Moth, my Life Points will drop to zero!" Yugi thought to himself, "My Knight is losing Attack Points with each fleeting second! But how do I defend him against the very air itself?!"

"Looks to me like my poisonous particles are taking their toll, Yugi!" Weevil taunted.

"Oh no! My Knight's really in trouble. And there's nothing in my hand that can save him. But I know my Grandfather's deck won't let me down," Yugi thought as he drew a new Card. Yugi looked at the card and saw that it was just what he needed. "Yes! Ready to be rained out, Weevil? I use this card! Makiu, the Magical Mist!" Yugi exclaimed.

Torrential rain was suddenly, drenching the field. "What?! It's being drenched in mist…!" Weevil exclaimed as the rust-colored patches were washed off the Dragon Champion's body, "No, my poison! You're washing it all away!"

"That's right; the Magical Mist washes the field clean," Yugi explained, "It envelopes the Monsters on my enemy's field in a magical mist!"

"I see…! So, you plan to wash the toxic particles off using the mist…!" Weevil said. "With that, I managed to stop the Dragon Knight's Attack power from dropping in the nick of time," Yugi answered.

"No Fair! I was about to claim victory, and you save yourself with a little drizzle?!" Weevil complained. "That's true, I saved my Knight, but that's not all I did!" Yugi thought to himself.

"All right, then; you may've stopped my deadly assault, but I promise, you've only won a brief exculpation! Because the next move is one you won't be able to think your way out of! Yugi is this is the best you can do, I have no need to worry! Right now, Great Moth has more than enough Attack Points to Wipeout Gaia! Brace yourself for my insect's ultimate attack! Great Moth! Tornado of Doom!" Weevil commanded as the flying insect destroyed the recovered Monster.

"A direct hit! Hehehehehahahahah! Your little downpour didn't save you from that one, now did it! Your knight is toast! And you're almost out of Life Points. Gaia, the Dragon Champion, is beaten! And your Life Points have become a candle flame flickering in the wind, Yugi!" Weevil exclaimed as Yugi's Life Points are now 50.

"Yugi, don't give up. You'll find a way. Keep fightin'! You can come back from this!" Joey encouraged.

"You're all delusional. We know who the winner of the game is now," Mai stated.

"No. That's not true! Joey's right! Yugi never gives up the fight, and we never give up on him! Yugi will win! I haven't lost hope!" Téa argued.

"It's no use. What can Yugi do now to turn the tables? Things like friendship and hope have no effect on the outcome of a Duel," Mai said, "You're nuts, you know that. Weevil has totally thrashed Yugi's toughest Monster Combo. He only has fifty measly Life Points; he can't win, so do me a favor and stop yapping."

"What the…What the heck do you think you know about our friendship with Yugi?! And I won't stop yapping, you selfish, pompous, bleach-blonde, know-it-all windbag! Do us a favor and get out of here, right, Joey? Say something, Joey!" Téa said. "Easy girl," Satomi tried to calm down.

"You said it. Just ignore Mai, Téa; Yugi's in trouble!" Joey stated. "I know, what can we do?" Téa asked.

"I dunno, but it'd be great if we could trade Mai in for Life Points," Joey answered. "I wish!" Téa exclaimed. "That goes double for me," Satomi added.

"Anyway, Yugi…Yugi will be fine. The key to winning this…" Joey started to say. "There is one, right?" Téa asked.

"There is! But someone like me who only came in eighth place in the District Finals wouldn't know!" Joey answered.

The girls could only collapse in the anti-climactic answer. "Joey!" Téa complained. "Did you to have to get our hopes up?" Satomi snapped.

Mai was not amused by their antics. "Yugi had no hope of picking a fight against the Regional Champion of Japan. By no means did he disgrace himself in this Duel. His opponent was just too strong," Mai said, "I told you all along Yugi never had a chance at winning this thing," Mai said. "Ugh!" Téa grunted.

"He squanders too much time listening to your rabbles. Weevil keeps his mind on the game," Mai stated. "Then why didn't he see this coming?" Tristan asked.

"Huh?" Téa said. "See what coming? Téa, Joey, and Satomi asked as they looked at their friend. "Whatever Yugi is grinnin' about! Your Prediction turned out to be wrong. Look at Yugi!" Tristan answered.

"Uh…" Mai said as she and the others looked up and saw the smile on Yugi's face, eyes closed as if enjoying an inside joke. "You're right; he's got a big smile," Joey stated. "Uh, he's not smiling. I think he's laughing," Téa said. "No way…Why?" Mai asked.

"Huhahahahahahaha!" Yugi laughed out loud. "Hey, hey! What are you so happy about?! What are you laughing for? What's so funny?! Stop that snickering!" Weevil demanded, feeling unsettled.

"Weevil, if you're a Duelist, when do you feel the need to laugh? When the Duel is running exactly as you want it to, and you believe that victory is yours. There would be no other time more appropriate! Right? Weevil, I know it will be challenging for you to accept losing a duel…" Yugi began to explain, "Especially after spending so much time finding creative ways to swindle your opponent! But if you thought twisting the rules would help you in this match…you're wrong."

"No! What are you saying? This is a trick!" Weevil said, hating the sound that this conservation was going.

"You play deceitfully, so you expect the same of your opponents: But I duel with honor, Weevil, and that makes all the difference!" Yugi explained, "Weevil, you fell into my plan. Gaia, the Dragon Champion, was merely the bait!"

"The Dragon Champion was Bait?! You've got nothin'!" Weevil exclaimed. "Here's what I've got. My turn! I'll use this card to attack the Great Moth! The mighty…Summoned Skull!" Yugi exclaimed as he summoned a tall and bulky demon with armor made of embedded bones.

"Whoa…! Impossible! What's that?" Mai asked.

"This is it, Weevil. Your Insect won't withstand my next attack," Yugi exclaimed.

"Ha! What's this? So, it's just a bluff…! Yugi must be losing it! The Attack of the Summoned Skull isn't any better than my Great Moth. His Summoned Skull is powerful, but my Great Moth is tougher still! If he's imprudent enough to attack, my Monster will most certainly squish his Monster and wipe out the rest of Yugi's precious Life Points as well! Once Yugi's Life Points reach zero after this next attack, I will be the winner!" Weevil exclaimed in his head.

"Now it looks like you're just committing suicide with that card!" Mai thought to herself.

"Hmhmhmhmhm. Weevil don't you understand what's going on? Why did I use the Makiu card? There's something you disregarded, Weevil. My Magical Mist is still dampening this field," Yugi said.

Everyone gasped at that statement as the fog covered the field and a single drop of water fell from the air which was coming from the drenched Moth. "Shoot! He's right…! Everything's wet! The Makiu card made the Great Moth soaked! My Great Moth is totally soaked!" Weevil exclaimed.

"And my Summoned Skull's attacks are with electricity, making your sopping bug a giant lightning rod. I hope you like fireworks, Weevil; because all this water boosts my Monster's electrical attack by one thousand Points!" Yugi commanded, "Now, you get it? That's right, the Makiu card set the stage for Summoned Skull's electrical attack! Therefore, the Great Moth's Defense drops due to the Makiu Card! And the Summoned Skull's Attack Points go up! Go Summoned Skull! Lightning Strike!"

The Skull shot sparks into the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the Great Moth.

"Ahh…" Weevil exclaimed in horror as the Moth cried in pain as it exploded.

"It's over. The Great Moth is beaten! I've won!" Yugi announced.

"My…My Great Moth…! "No! Impossible! My Moth's unbeatable!" Weevil wailed as he fainted as his Life Points reached zero!

"All right, Yugi!" Joey exclaimed. "Way to go!" Tristan shouted. "Yeah! Awesome!" Joey and Tristan exclaimed.  
"He did it! Yugi won! He won! I knew you would!" Téa exclaimed. "I don't think Seto could have done any better!" Satomi exclaimed.

"…Impressive. I didn't think Yugi could ever beat Weevil," Mai said to herself, "Is that…How Yugi beat the Seto Kaiba in his Duel?"

After snapping him out of his stupor, Weevil cried like a spoiled brat. "Uhhuh! This isn't possible! But I'm the Regional Champion! The Regional Champion! Nnngh…" Weevil wailed.

"You call yourself the Champion, Weevil, but you only won your Duels through lying and cheating. True Champions…they play with honor. They play fair," Yugi said as he towered over the sniveling worm and tossed the Star Chips he had won.

"Ah, don't waste your time on this sneaky slug! He's a Duelin' disgrace!" Joey exclaimed. "I second the motion!" Satomi added.

"I can't believe that Regional Champion of Japan was the first to lose his Star Chips in this Tournament. It's the rules! I will take your two Star Chips! Now…" Yugi started to say.

"Now get off this island! You cowardly bratty little bug! I'll be taking this glove off your hands," Joey said as he got in Weevil's face and caused him to faint in terror, "And with this, I relieve him of his Dueling gauntlet!"

"There. I got three Star Chips for now. But I still need seven more…" Yugi said to himself as he added his two new Star Chips and gaze at the Castle, "Ten Star Chips will gain me access into that castle, where they're holding my Grandfather prisoner, and where I'll battle Pegasus once and for all! Wait for me, Pegasus!"


	9. Duel 008

*As you have noticed, I have changed the name of this Fanfic. Reason One is that Duel Monster was such a common name, it's hard to search for this fanfic and not find something else entirely. While I was thinking of names to use, I thought of my favorite opening and ending from the Japanese series and figured that would be perfect! Especially since, Kimeru, the singer for Overlap, read the manga series before writing the song for inspiration. Overlap was the message for the whole series, and that's why I chose it and Eyes for the new title of this fanfic!

*Also, I want to thank for the Transcripts!

_**Duel 008**_

_**At Pegasus's Castle**_

Sitting alone in the Banquet Room, Pegasus opened his silver pocket watch. "Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm. Two hours have passed since the Duel started. All over the island, my unsuspecting pawns are in place. The Duels have begun…" Pegasus said to himself as he closed his watch again, "…And by now, the steady process of elimination is well underway. Only the greatest Duel Monsters players will survive, and those of insufficient skill will fall by the wayside. Yugi-Boy…Will you be able to reach this castle?"

_**In a Meadow near a Cliff**_

Back with the gang, they had just exited the forest and onto a grassy cliff. "Alright! It's my turn next! I gotta grab someone and Duel 'em!" Joey exclaimed, getting more excited as he ran to the cliff, "Okay, just bring 'em on! I'm really itchin' to Duel, and I'm takin' on the next player we see!"

The other friends, however, were concerned. "Y'know, I'm not so certain Joey's up to this. I wonder if he's really going to be okay…" Téa asked the others.

"Yeah, overconfidence can often be one's undoing, my brother's proof of that," Satomi said.

"Yeah, most of the Duelists gathered on this island are veterans after all," Tristan added, "There are tournament-level Duelists here. But don't you guys think he is smart enough to know that…"

"Here I stand, the new Duel Monsters Champion!" Joey exclaimed as he stood on the edge of the cliff, then he saw the ocean on the horizon, "Guys, come here! The view's amazing!"

"Nope," Satomi deadpanned. "The guy's not nervous at all," Téa said, "He needs a reality check." "Guess he is about as smart as he looks," Tristan added, "Does he think we came here on a trip or something?"

"It really is a nice view…" Joey muttered to himself as the breeze stirs his hair, "I better be the champion…" "For Serenity's sake. She's always depended on me, even when we were kids…" Joey thought.

"Big Brother, I wanna see the ocean!" The voice of Serenity from the past exclaimed. "Sure! I'll take you there!" Joey remembered the younger him from the past exclaimed. Joey then thought back to that day with his sister.

_**Flashback**_

At a bus stop, a bus had just dropped off a young Joey and Serenity. "Where are we, Joey? Where have you taken me, Big Brother?" a young Serenity asked. "To the beach. That's what you said you wanted," a young Joey answered.

Serenity got excited, but then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, Big Brother. Do you think Mom will get mad at us?" Serenity asked. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it!" Joey reassured.

Lighting back up again, the two siblings head to the beach. "Hey, Joey?" Serenity chirped. "Yeah?" Joey answered. "You're the world's best brother!" Serenity exclaimed making her brother chuckle.

When they saw the ocean, the two ran towards it, Serenity stood on the sand, admiring the view. "Oh, Joey! It looks so-o-o, pretty!" Serenity exclaimed. "And so cold!" Joey yelled as he scrambled away from the waves that have swamped him. This caused the siblings to laugh.

The day went on, and the sun was setting, and Joey and Serenity were building a sandcastle. "What a great day. We gotta come back here!" Joey said, "We definitely should come back someday!" "But…but how?" Serenity said, worriedly.

"Don't worry. Even if Mom and Dad do get a divorce, and we must live apart, It's all right! I'll come to pick you up! I will still…bring you back to this place someday," Joey reassured. "You promise?" Serenity asked, holding out her pinkie finger. "Yeah…I promise!" Joey vowed as he hooked his pinkie with his sister.

_**Back in the Meadow, Present**_

"I'm your older brother, Serenity; I'm supposed to look after a' ya. I'm going to win this tournament and the prize money. I'm gonna make you don't lose your eyesight and show you that beautiful ocean one more time…I promise. Serenity…your brother promised you. I'll show you that beautiful ocean again. I swear it," Joey thought to himself.

Then cheering sounded through the air and it caught the ears of Satomi and Téa. "Whoa!" Satomi said. "Look there!" Téa pointed out.

Below them, were several Duel Rings where Duelists were Dueling. "Duel Monster Stadiums! Look at 'em…they are all over!" Tristan exclaimed, "Amazing! Here and even there…" Tris

"You said it! Lots of Dueling going on!" Yugi said, "Everyone's started to Duel already."

"Right…I'm goin' in! I have to also…" Joey started to say. "You sure you want to do this? If you lose, you will give up your only Star Chip!" Tristan said, "You'd be best off finding yourself a weak opponent to start with." "Right. Right, that's right," Téa agreed.

"Gggh!" Joey exclaimed as he fell over. "Just remember, baby steps, Joey," Satomi advised.

"Don't panic, you can do this, Joey. You do know that, don't you?" Yugi said. "I hope you're right, Yugi; this will be my first official Duel, and I can't afford to get knocked out at the start!" Joey said.

"True, but not everyone here is an expert. I'm sure you can find someone else on your level," Yugi said. "Go for someone easy, Joey," Téa said. "Like I said before, baby steps," Satomi said.

"Joey…you have to choose your Duel location carefully," Yugi advised. "Cuz the field you pick can give your Monster Cards an advantage or a disadvantage. Right Yugi?" Joey said. "Most of the people on this island should have realized that rule by now," Yugi said.

"An', I guess I should think about what field my Cards're best suited for," Joey said. "Where's the best field for Joey?" Téa asked. "Try putting yourself in your Monsters' shoes," Satomi advised.

They're mostly Monster and Fighter-Types. I…guess that makes this meadow region my kinda turf!" Joey said. "Then, this place would be Joey's territory," Tristan said. "That's right, Joey. See? You know what you're doin'!" Yugi said, "If possible, only move around this area."

"You lost, big crybaby, now give me your Star Chips!" A familiar voice called out, "Come on! Gimme your Star Chips and get lost!"

"A voice that loud and annoying could only belong to…Mai Valentine!" Téa said. And sure enough, Mai had just won a Duel and was crowing about her victory.

"It's so not fair, you cheated somehow! How can you know what your Cards were even when they were still face down!" the losing Duelist demanded, "Tell me! How did you know what your set cards were when you couldn't see them?" "That is…A secret and you're done," Mai answered with a wink.

With that, the Duelist cried and ran off, giving Mai another laughing fit. "I'm getting so close to the prize!" Mai exclaimed.

Then she noticed the fivesome. "Well. Look who's here!" Mai said. "Wow, Mai has already won two more Star Chips," Joey said.

Then a mischievous gleam appeared in Mai's eyes and suddenly turned on the charm. "Hey, Yugi! Are your Duels going well?" Mai asked. "N-not bad," Yugi answered nervously, "I'm making progress."

"So, you have three Star Chips now, do you? You know, I might be up for a Duel myself!" Mai said, examining Yugi's Duel Glove, "Maybe we should Duel?"

"Take her!" Téa whispered to Yugi. "Huh?" Yugi asked. "Yugi beat this woman to a pulp." Téa whispered with ire, "Knock her out of the contest and off the island!" "Téa, take it easy," Satomi said as she tried to calm her friend down.

"Mmm! You know. I'm undeniably in the mood for a Duel right now! Okay, I've decided to who I should challenge to a Duel now. So, get ready, because I choose to Duel…you, Joey!" Mai said, pointing to Joey.

"Scuse me?! Huh? Me?!" Joey stammered in confusion, "What? You challenge me?"

"Get it? I wanna play you, kid. Do you have the guts to accept?" Mai said, "Are you gonna run away, boy?"

"Huh! I was hoping you'd ask. Guess you heard about my skill," Joey bragged.

"Don't flatter yourself. Don't get me wrong. I heard you and Yugi talking on the ship, and I know he gave the only Star Chip you have. My Motto is, take out the weakest Duelists first. And bearing in mind that you wouldn't be here if Yugi had not given you one of his Star Chips, you've got to be the weakest Duelist on the Island! As a Duelist, it's only natural that I would rather fight against Yugi. But if I lose all my Star Chips, it's all over for me, right? I'll start by Dueling against opponents who look weak to earn Star Chips. Then, I will fight Yugi after that," Mai explained.

"Hey…do you have to be so insultin'? How can you say that to someone who was in the Best Eight?" Joey said.

"This time she was truthful, and it was just the Local Tournament Preliminaries," Téa stated. "Who!" Joey exclaimed.

"Mai's ruthless; don't Duel her first!" Téa said, "You can't beat this woman!" "Remember what I said about baby steps," Satomi said.

"Don't you get it? If you lose in this contest, you're out for good!" Tristan said, "You understand, don't you? If you lose once, it's all over."

"Yugi, stand up for Joey! You have to Duel her in his place," Téa said, "Accept the challenge."

Yugi looked back and forth between the two Duelists and gave a deep sigh. "This is his decision to make," Yugi said, surprising Joey, "Joey…you just gotta do it! Show Mai what you're made of!"

"Right, I knew you'd say something like that, Yugi," Joey said, "She thinks I'm a pushover, but she'll see!"

"Yugi!" Téa exclaimed. "Oh, boy!" Satomi facepalmed. "Joey! Are you serious?!" Tristan asked, "You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious! I'm more serious than you'll ever know! Don't you see this is my chance to prove myself? To show everybody. Don't forget, Gramps trained me…" Joey said, "I mean, sure, Gramps didn't have a chance to complete my training, and granted. I wish I would have a chance to practice more before getting thrown into a tournament this huge wit so many heavy-hitters, but honest. I think I can take 'er,"

The remaining of his friends were still unsure. "Maybe the best way to explain this is by this. From now on, if I run away from this, I'll likely always feel it… Like, when I look up at the sky…expanding to the mountains or the sea…Every time I remember seeing that sight with all of you…I'll only remember how I run away scared," Joey explained. With that, the others in the group understood.

"Oh, man. I see…I get it. Sorry, Joey," Tristan said, "But, you'd better be right, for your sister's sake." "Yeah, you'd better not mess this up, Joey," Téa added, "But you better win if you're gonna do this!"

"I accept this Duel. So, let's Duel," Joey said. "That's what I'm talking about!" Mai said, "Get ready to lose!"

Without further ado, the two Duelists went to their respective podiums. "Go get 'er, Joey!" Téa cheered, "Give her a fight!" "You can't lose!" Tristan added, "Kick her butt!" "And don't let that pretty face fool around you!" Satomi advised.

"Yeah! Okay!" Joey said. "Joey, he'll do fine" Yugi murmured to reassure himself.

"You seem to just have just one Star Chip, Boy. And since you only have one measly Star Chip, I only must bet one of mine against you," Mai said.

"If I lose this Star Chip, I'm finished," Joey thought to himself, "At least this region will give me a field advantage…"

"Huh? Yikes! Oh, no! This field is…" Joey exclaimed, "What're those mountains doin' on my field!"

"The layout of the field we'll battle on is 40% Forest, 40% Mountain, and the last 20% is Meadow. So, deal with it or surrender," Mai explained.

"Calm down, Joey, you'll be okay! Your Monsters will still get a Field Power Bonus on the Meadow part of the Field! So, you can still use the Meadow as an advantage for your cards!" Yugi advised.

"Oh. Yeah. Listen, Mai, not for nothin', but I gotta ask you one question before we Duel," Joey said. "Hmm? What?" Mai asked.

"Why did you decide to compete in this tournament? Tell me, Mai, why is it you Duel?" Joey asked. "Why do I Duel?" Mai asked back

"What did you come to this island for? For fame? Or maybe the prize money?" Joey inquired. "Both, of course. If I get the prize money, I will travel around the world! Maybe buy a house in France, buy all the luxuries!" Mai answered, "In short, it's for all the luxuries that I crave! Designer clothes, travel perks, anything to evade real work! Hot cars, turbocharged for livin' large!"

"Huh! So that's why you are after the prize money? How selfish!" Joey said, "For something so worthless…"

"How dare you try and criticize me, who d'you think you are you pathetic little snot!" Mai snapped. "Hey, you're only Duelin' for material items. But F.Y.I., some of us fight for those we love," Joey said.

"AND TRUST ME ON THIS, MAI, MATERIALISTIC ITEMS LIKE THOSE YOU MENTIONED WILL ONLY MAKE YOU FEEL EMPTY!" Satomi called out in advice.

"What the heck does that mean? Then, why did you come here?!" Mai demanded Joey to answer. "There's something I need to protect. Something more important to me than my life!" Joey answered.

"You'll show 'er, Joey. Show her the differences of the burdens you shoulder!" Yugi said, "Show her what it's like to Duel from the heart!"

"DUEL!" Mai and Joey exclaimed. And the Duel started.

"Hmm, so to start, Masaki, the Legendary Swordsman! And the Field Power Bonus will bring his power up over three hundred points!" Joey said, "Hey, I made my first move! Now, it's your turn!"

"Hm!" Mai said. Then she closed her eyes and hovered her hand over her Cards. "Huh?" Joey said, "Whaddaya think you're doin'! Why aren't you looking at your cards?"

"It's a simple reason. I know what all my cards are," Mai answered. "Eh?! Impossible! What're ya…a psychic?" Joey asked. "What did she say?" Yugi asked out loud. "I smell a Card trick!" Satomi stated, crossing her arms, "It must be the old psyche out routine."

"Here I go, my card is… Harpie Lady! She gets Power up from the Mountain Field!" Mai exclaimed. "I'll still take it on! Atta-a-a-ck!" Joey commanded.

"No, Joey, wait! Harpie Lady has the ability of flight! And Land Monsters are at a disadvantage to flying Monsters!" Yugi called out as the Harpie flew out of the Swordsman's way. "Monsters that can fly have a magic resistance against Monsters than can only walk on the earth!" Yugi explained.

"What do you mean?" Téa asked, "So, Joey blew it already?" "No, but he had attacked too soon before he thought about what his Monster was capable of," Yugi explained, "And Masaki's Attack and Defense Points returns to 1100,"

"Huh! My samurai's sushi!" Joey exclaimed as the Harpie defeated the Masaki. "And I'll choose again without looking," Mai said, placing a card on the field, facedown, "It's your turn, Boy."

"Huh?! How's she doin' that?!" Joey exclaimed, "She's not looking at her Cards again!"

"Joey…He's losing it!" Téa exclaimed. "Does Joey really have no chance of winning?!" Tristan asked. "It's too early to tell, but it's mostly a case of biting more than he can chew," Satomi answered. "Then I guess that mop-head wasn't ready for this Duel," Tristan said.

"Hey, Joey! Don't be caught by her Card trick!" Yugi said, "Think about what you're doing before you move again!"

"How can she know what those Cards are without looking at them?" Joey asked himself, "How can she read the Cards when they're lyin' facedown?"

"Ha! My little Card trick has made this boy forget about everything he knew about the Duel Monsters game! All I have to do is keep pushing his little buttons," Mai thought to herself as she tapped her fingers on the console, "This boy is completely losing himself to my Card trick. It's just a matter of when he'll hand me my victory."

"What do I do?" Joey thought to himself. "Maybe, this one! Tiger Axe!" Joey said as he placed another Monster on the Field, "My Field Power Bonus should raise his Attack power, so it can take on the Harpie Lady head-to-head! He'll kill Harpie Lady in a stalemate!"

"Joey, you're not thinking! You forgot about its magic flight! It's still resistant to magic!" Yugi warned.

"Right. Tiger Axe is another handicapped earth-based monster! His Attack won't reach her! You can't beat my Harpie Lady with Cards of that level." Mai exclaimed as the Tiger Axe was also destroyed.

"Hmph! It'll take a much stronger Monsters than your land-based wimps to beat my Harpie Lady! Now I'll play this lovely Card without even looking. Everything that passes, Harpie Lady will become more charming, beautiful, and stronger," Mai said, "I'll give you a hint, it's an equipment Magic Card that will help me defeat your next Card in one turn."

"Again, with all that psychic stuff?" Joey exclaimed. "Can she also see my Cards, too? Since I can't see what cards she's playin', I gotta get defensive," Joey thought to himself.

"Running scared, huh? Well, let me show you my surprise, Cyber Shield, to juice up my Harpie Lady!" Mai said as Harpie Lady now has black armor and it destroyed yet another one of Joey's Monsters.

"Ahahahahaha, this is so fun! In case you were pondering, the next Card you were considering won't work either," Mai warned, "You get it yet?! Boy, don't you get its great impact yet? This game is mine! You can't win against me."

"She's right, she's too much for me! How can she identify her Cards without looking at them? Is this woman as Esper?!" Joey asked himself, "Mai has ESP, that has to be it…! I'm going to lose this Duel, and the chance to save my sister!" Joey said in despair.

"No! Joey, calm down! Don't be fooled by Mai Valentine's Card tricks." Yugi said, "Just settle down. Joey, remember what my Grandfather taught you about how to play Duel Monsters."

"Don't let her rattle you! She's just trying to psych you out!" Téa said, "Keep trying, Joey! You can't lose to that cheeky woman!"

Mai suddenly became suspicious of the audience's cheers. "Mm?! You over there…! Stay out of this!" Mai exclaimed. "Huh?" Téa said.

"Your dim-witted cheerleading isn't going to help him against the superior power of my Harpie Lady. Don't you guys get it yet? Friendship doesn't win Duels, never will. It hasn't helped him. He's defeated, and he knows it," Mai said, "I remember you saying that your hearts can pass to one another in battle. Then show me an example…Let your "Hearts" actually allow this weak boy to win."

"But that's…Not true!" Téa argued. "No? I beg to argue. There can be only one Champion. On this island, in this game, a person can be your best friend this day and your worst enemy the next. Once the tournament forces you to face each other in a duel…where's your friendship then?" Mai said. Huh?" Joey said.

"Don't ya get it? It's impossible. You must remember this too boy. If you only fool with your friends, you aren't a True Duelist. This is what a Duelist is. A Duelist cannot trust anyone but themselves! Remember your loss today and engrave it in your mind forever." Mai advised, "That's why the only person a Duelist can trust is themselves. I hope that your loss today teaches you that lesson, kid."

"That sounds like something Seto would say…" Satomi muttered under her breathe. "That woman…" Tristan said, "He's losin' it!" "I can't stand this! I can't stand this anymore!" Téa said, "He needs help; Yugi, help him!"

Once again, the Millennium Puzzle glowed, and light surrounded Yugi. And the Yugi beaming with confidence had taken place when the light disappeared.

"Don't listen to her, Joey, we're here to help you, just like you're always there for us!" Yugi said. "Huh?" Mai asked. "W-what?" Joey said.

"Trust me on this. Mai's trying to divide and conquer, a strategy that's been used for centuries. Believe me…I know," Yugi said as a golden eye appeared on his forehead. "When you get that expression in your eyes, I believe everything…you say," Joey said.

"Hahahaha! Do you really think Yugi wants you to be the winner?! He's also a Duelist too, you know. To win you'll ultimately have to take him on," Mai pointed out.

"She's right; we will have to Duel…but…" Joey as he remembered the conversation with Yugi before they left for the Duelist Kingdom, "We are a team. But I also must win the tournament, for Serenity…"

"You'll be able to win, Joey, I'll show you with a single sentence," Yugi said, surprising Mai and Joey again. "Yugi," Joey said. "Joey. I'll only say one sentence: Something you can see, yet cannot see," Yugi said. "Something you can see, yet cannot see?" Joey repeated.

"That boy can't win with a sentence! But it's interesting. Show me how it works," Mai challenged.

"I understand the meaning. But…but no matter what, I can't win with that alone," Joey said, "Serenity…I'm such a useless brother…I can't even heal your eyes going blind. Shoot!" J

"What do I do? Maybe Yugi's right. I have to stop listenin' to Mai's garbage, and start usin' my head," Joey said as he closed his eyes, "Rrrgh, I just gotta concentrate on how to win the game!"

In Joey's mind, he was in a black void, devoid of all sight. "Is the world of blindness really this dark? I won't let you live in a world like this," Joey thought, "There's gotta be a way to defeat Mai. If I can just find out how she distinguishes what her Cards are…If she's not a psychic, there must be somethin' else she doin',"

Then Joey started to sniff something in the air. "What's that strange smell? I couldn't smell it with my eyes open. There's a bunch of different aromas mixed together…" Joey thought, "I'm smellin' a buncha different perfumes, comin'; from…her Cards! Huh,"

"Let's go, Kid, it's your turn," Mai said impatiently. "That's it!" Joey thought. "I got it! I figured out her Card trick!" "I see through your little Card trick! You scattered all your Cards with various perfumes. An' by smellin' each scent, you can tell which card is which, even when they're facedown!" Joey said, "She has to smell to find out what Card it is, Cards can be seen, but that smell cannot be seen. Something you can see yet cannot see." "Uh!" Mai said, realizing her gig was up!

"Oh! That's what that overpowering smell from the ship was! I thought some of those scents smelled familiar. No wonder my nose hair was burning," Satomi said

"So, you don't have to look to play your cards. That way you can frighten the other player out," Joey said. "No way! You're lying! How could an unprofessional punk like you see through my aroma strategy! It's just impossible!" Mai

"I gotta confess, Mai, ya really had me buyin into the whole psychic power schtick. Before the game, I was tricked by you completely and lost myself. I was 100% sure you were doing some occult thing and got scared. I was too freaked to think things through because of that. But you're not a psychic at all! You're just a big fake! I won't be falling into your trap again. You dirty woman!" Joey exclaimed.

"All right, Joey," Yugi said. "Go get 'er, Joey!" Téa said. "Go! You da, man!" Tristan said. "Show that Psycho Lady, real Dueling!" Satomi called out.

"Yugi, Thank you! You were right!" Joey said, giving a thumbs up.

"Just because you saw through my psychic act, doesn't mean you're going to be able to defeat in a Duel!" Mai argued, "Even if you found out my Trick, you're still a hundred years too early to beat me in Cards!"

"You're wrong. Before you were winnin' by bamboozling me and tryin' to pit me against my friends; but now my mind is open. I know who I can trust now. All you've got left is your lame tricks, and I won't fall for them anymore!" Joey said, "It's really unbelievable. Once my friends are supporting me, I start thinking of you like a wall I can easily overcome! Although you're a hundred years too early to understand."

"Uh…" Mai said. "I'm gonna blast your Harpie outta the sky wit' this!" Joey exclaimed. "That card is…Good Card, Joey!" Yugi said.

"Baby Dragon!" Joey announced as a cuddly orange dragon was summoned to the Field. "Ha! What is that weak looking Card?! That puny Card is your grand play? I only wish it was worth more so when I devastate you it'll do more damage to your Life Points! Even if I don't defeat that Card, it's not like it can deplete my Life Points. My card will be Elegant Egoist! Its magic will make duplicates of three of my Harpie Lady!" Mai said.

"Wha-what? OH, no!" Joey exclaimed. "Harpie Lady One, Two, Three," Mai announced as two more Harpies appeared on the Field, one with spiky blue hair and purple wings, and another with short orange hair and green wings.

"Their numbers grew! It's three times the trouble!" Joey exclaimed. "No way! And he just has the upper hand…!" Téa said, "Now what? He was struggling enough when there was only one!"

"Joey don't give up! There will be a way!" Tristan said, "Don't give in, Joey! You've got all kinds a' moves left!"

"Really! Like what? What moves would those be?" Téa asked. "Please enlighten us," Satomi challenged. "Don't ask an amateur like me. How would I know? Ask an expert, ask Yugi. Right, Yugi?" Tristan said.

"It's Joey's Duel; he has to figure this out for himself," Yugi answered, "Besides, it's too early to say he's lost."

"I don't have any Cards powerful enough to beat three Harpie Ladies…" Joey said, "There's no card to defeat the three Harpie Ladies."

"Ha! And I'm going to keep using the power of Elegant Egoist to double my Harpies, again and again, each turn! The Harpy Lady Beauty Combo! Because of this Card, they get more charming and stronger with each passing turn! Ahaha! But they can't attack this turn because of Elegant Egoist. While my Harpies grow in numbers, I can't attack you, so it's your move. But I doubt you'll pull something off. But Of course, you'll soon be up against an army!" Mai said.

"An army of Harpies? How in the world do I fight an army?!" Joey asked, "She's got a whole army! How'm I supposed to beat that?! I can't win…I'm going to lose for sure!"

"Don't give up, Joey!" Yugi called out. "Huh?" Joey said, his attention been caught. "Think about her strategy: she's been using only one Monster Card and strengthening that one Card with many Magic Cards. Mai Valentine has continually used Magic Cards to increase the power of her Harpie Lady and then duplicating her into other copies. But there's a fatal flaw in her Dueling strategy, Joey! Within lies a weak point you can use to turn the tables," Yugi explained.

"A weak point to turn the tables...? Usin' magic on one Card? I see! That's true! She's just been powering up the Harpie Lady every turn; but if she has mostly Magic and Trap Cards, maybe the Harpie Lady are her only Monsters! I bet if I can just defeat the Harpies, she won't have any Monsters left to play! So, once I kill the Harpie Lady, she'll have no more strategies," Joey said.

"Yes, that's right, Joey, now think, what Card in your Deck will help you win?" Yugi said, "Once more; something you can see, yet cannot see."

"Which of my Cards? You tell me," Joey said, "Something you can see, yet cannot see? Now that you mention it… Wait, I think maybe you did! Right. Before…The Millennium Puzzle Box. If I recall, the riddle of the Puzzle was that it could be seen, but not seen. Then it should be the Time Wizard!"

"This is the kinda tight spot Yugi must have been talkin' about. Now if I can just remember what Grandpa taught me about the way to use a Magic Card, Time Wizard's my only hope. But… do I have it in my hand?" Joey said, looking at the Cards in his hand.

"Why's he staring into space?! Hurry up and draw a Card already!" Mai complained, "If I'd known how long it was going to take you to make a move, I would've brought a magazine."

"Uh-oh. The Time Wizard is not in my hand. Ah, I'll have to draw for it," Joey said, "I can only hope for it. Before the Baby Dragon's destroyed. Please!"

"But what if I don't get it? Rrgh, what if…" Joey thought as he reached for his Deck. "Joey. Believe in your cards," Yugi thought to Joey, "Trust in your Cards, Joey, trust in yourself!"

"Uh, here I go. It's all or nothin'! Rrrgh!" Joey said as he drew the Card with his eyes closed, "Here I go!"

He opened his eyes and hope returned. "Hm? All right! It's the Time Wizard!" Joey exclaimed as he summoned the Time Wizard, which was a giant clock with a face, arms, a cape, and a staff.

"Hm? The Time Wizard? What good is that thing?" Mai asked.

"Don't you know? We're going to 1000 years in the future," Joey said, "The Time Wizard can make time go quicker, causin' my Baby Dragon to grow into a Thousand Dragon!"

"Right, Joey; and that's not the only outcome your Time Wizard will have," Yugi said.

"Time Magic!" The Time Wizard exclaimed as its ability was in effect. "Baby Dragon, transform into…Thousand Dragon!" Joey shouted as the Baby turned into a dragon that reminded people of a grumpy grandpa. "Thousand Dragon arrives!" Joey announces.

"What the heck? So now you have a larger dragon. Big deal! My Harpie Ladies still have greater attack power! Attack it, my three Harpie Sisters! Triple Harpie Ladies kill it!" Mai ordered.

However, the three sisters were unable to as the three were now brittle old ladies, and their Attack Points were lower. "What?! What happened to my Harpie Ladies?! They've gotten so old!" Mai exclaimed.

"Heheh. Didn't Joey tell you; a millennium has passed on the Playing Field, and your Harpie Ladies have become old and Decrepit. Face it, Mai, time's running out for you and your Ladies," Yugi said, "Mai Valentine, for you, losing your beauty is the cruelest defeat you can get." "Nnnggh…" Mai cringed in disgust.

"I was surprised by that too. I believed…! And the Cards came through! Alright, let's go! Thousand Dragon!" Joey commanded, "Attack with Inferno Flame Breath!"

With that, the Thousand Dragon blew a stream of fire from its nostrils and burned the Harpie Ladies to ashes. And Mai's 2000 Life Points went straight to zero!

"Alright! He did it, Joey won! It's a miracle!" Téa exclaimed. "Joey wins! I knew you could do it!" Tristan shouted. "Joey: One, Mai: Zero!" Satomi exclaimed. "Thanks, Guys! Yugi!" Joey said in gratitude as Yugi gave him a nod.

"I can't believe…I can't believe it, I lost to a guy like him…!" Mai said in despair, "Nngh, how! How could I ever have lost, to such an amateur!"

"Hey, Mai!" Joey called out. "Huh?" Mai said. "I tried to tell ya, there is more to Duel Monsters than just kickin' the other guy's butt," Joey explained. "Huh?" Mai said. "If you're ever gonna be a real winner, ya gotta learn to care about someone. Other than yourself." Joey said, "Mai Valentine! I'm not a very flashy Duelist, but I'll tell you this. Some things don't change even after 1000 years. Those things are what we can see but can't see. Isn't that right? Yugi?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Yugi agreed as he reverted again. "I'm proud of you, Joey. The difference in the burdens you carry was what let you win against Mai Valentine," Yugi thought, "All your hard work paid off. You went from a guy with nothing but eagerness and attitude to a winning Dueling who battles with head, and his heart!"

Up in the sky, Serenity could be seen giving her brother the support he needed and the courage to face anything that came his way. For there were more obstacles that remained unseen.


	10. Duel 009

*I want to thank mykland for the transcripts

Duel 009

_**In the Forest:**_

It had not been long since Joey had defeated Mai, but he was still glowing from his first ever victory. The two Star Chips in his Dueling Glove were shining in the sun and Joey was gloating over them.

"Whoo-whee! Haheh, two stars! Hmhmhm, this is so awesome, I can't believe it happened! I can't believe how well I played. Am I cool or what! Heheheh!" Joey gloated.

"Joey is still smiling," Téa remarked as she stood with the others, "Is there a time limit on how long he gets to crow?"

"Cut 'im some slack, Téa. Did you ever think Joey would actually beat Mai in a Duel?" Tristan chimed as Joey was polishing the Chips with his sleeve, "He should be very happy. He beat Mai Valentine in his first Duel. Even I find it hard to believe. I mean, Joey…who would've thought?"

"I knew he'd do it! I'm really proud of you, Joey," Yugi spoke, "If you continue like this you may win the next Duel too" "That just proofs that all that training you received from Grandpa Muto has paid off!" Satomi stated.

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed, but then his stomach began to grumble. "Ugh, I'm getting kinda hungry. Must have been all that Duelin'! Did any of you guys remember to bring any food wit'cha?" Joey asked. "Nope, sorry, Joe," Everyone else said.

"Ogh! What were we thinkin', comin' here wit' no food? How're we ever get through the rest of the competition without anything to eat?" Joey groaned. "Why didn't anyone prepare food for this tournament?"

"Right, that's a good question, Joey. That is a problem. The game will last for two days. We'll eventually need food and something to drink," Yugi stated, "This Dueling really takes it out of you, and I haven't seen any burger stands or restaurants since we got here."

"Shouldn't the organizer of this event provide it for us? They aren't very organized!" Téa complained. "Like I said before, Pegasus is very eccentric," Satomi stated. "Well, we better do something fast! I've gotta have my five basic food groups, or else…it's metabolic meltdown!" Téa fumed. "Calm down, just chill!" Satomi said.

"Oh yeah! Hey, chill out, you guys, I got it covered! I brought something with me," Tristan remembered. "Yeah?" Everyone else said. "Tada Check it out, the Great Outdoor Survival Guide Book!" Tristan announced holding up a book.

"Ugh…' Téa, Yugi, Satomi moaned. The others were not as thrilled. "What? Can we eat it?" Joey asked.

"Better than that, it lists all the plants, berries, and grasses we can eat!" Tristan explained as he flipped through the pages, "If there's an emergency, we can follow the steps in this book for looking for editable plants and mushrooms." "Eeew!" Everyone else groaned.

"Idiot! That's too risky to eat!" Joey snapped, "Do I look like a squirrel, ya big doofus?!" then he started to smell something in the air. "I don't need your dumb book anyhow; I smell somethin' cookin' that-a-way! Hah! See yuh!" Joey said, "Let's go guys! Food!" Joey yelled as he ran, leaving the others behind, towards a clearing up ahead, which seemed to lead to an ocean.

"He can smell it?" Téa asked, "He must be hallucinating." "Don't be so sure. Ya know, it wasn't his brain that beat Mai, it was his nose," Tristan added, "He beat her with his sense of smell. His nose must be very sensitive." "Either that, or the smells in questions are just strong," Satomi added.

_**At the Seaside:**_

The waves crashed against the rocky cliffs as the gang found a campfire with fish cooking over it like hot dogs. "We found food! Really!" Joey rejoiced, "Mmm, aw, man, I just love barbecued fish!" "Really?" Yugi asked, "Smells good…" "This seems too good to be true," Satomi said, and they're grilled fish more likely."

"Aw, yeah, and I bet it tastes even better!" Joey beamed as he started to run towards the fish. "Stop! Those are someone else's!" Téa warned, "What makes you think those fish are yours to eat?!" "Hey, trust me, we eat first and ask questions later! Your stomachs will thank me!" Joey responded as he continued to run to the campsite, "It must be a blessing of food from God. Heeheeheehee!"

"Joey! Ugh, he'd say anything to full his belly!" Téa muttered, "He has no self-control." "You're right about that. Some people have absolutely no self-control," Tristan remarked, arms folded, "But, I think Joey may be right this time." "Huh?" Téa, Yugi, and Satomi said.

"Hey, Joey, save some for me-e-e!" Tristan called out as he ran after Joey, "Don't eat by yourself!" "Ugh…" Téa and Satomi groaned.

Joey and Tristan each took a skewer from the fire and prepared to dig in. "Ahh man, this looks awesome!" Joey exclaimed, "It smells nice." "Ow! Owow! Hot, hot!" Tristan said as he nearly got burned.

"Then from the ocean, a tanned boy wearing short jeans, a diving mask, and holding a harpoon with a fish flailing around on the spear came over the cliff to see the gang at the campfire. Yugi, Téa, and Satomi joined the others only to stand by the fire. "Ready, set, feeding frenzy!" Joey and Tristan shouted, "Let's eat!"

"Enjoy yourselves, you fish thieves, this is your last meal!" the guy bellowed. Gaining the fivesome's attention, "How dare you eat my fish, you thieving poachers! Has no one taught you manners ya freeloading sardines! Who dares to touch my fi…" the guy started to say.

A wave had come from behind and crashed over him, dragging him back into the ocean. "Uh…" Yugi said as he was the others were dumbfounded by the sudden disappearance. "What was that?" Joey asked, "So, can we eat now?" Satomi elbowed him in the side for that statement.

The fisherman climbed back, disgruntled now that his entrance was ruined. "Alright, let me try that one more time," the guy mumbled. "I knew this was a bad idea…" Téa muttered, "I just knew we'd get caught."

"Rrgggh, how dare you steal my fish, you bottom feeding freeloading thieves!" the guy roared, "Ya can't just eat my fish without permission!"

"Heeey, chill out, guy, it's just a few fish," Joey said. "A few fish that do not belong to you! And to steal a fisherman's catch is to prove you have no honor!" the Guy snapped. "We didn't even eat it yet…" Joey said. "Don't pretend you didn't. Give the fish back to me then," the boy demanded.

As the fisherman argued, Yugi noticed a Dueling Glove on his right hand. "A Dueling Glove…and Star Chips? Wait a second! Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the top-rank Ocean Duelist? And the 3rd place runner up of the National Championship?" Yugi asked.

"Mmmgh. Yeah, that's right," the boy now known as Mako answered, thrown back by the boy's respectfulness, "And who might you be?" "Yeah, you're that freaky fish guy," Joey stated. "I am not a freaky fish guy!" Mako snapped. "That's a lie! You're just homeless…" Joey started to say. "Who are you calling homeless?" Mako snapped.

"I am Mako Tsunami, Duelist extraordinaire of the seven seas!" Mako exclaimed, "I'm a great sea Duelist!"

Téa and Satomi noticed something on Mako's head and began laughing. "Ehh, what are you laughing about?" Mako asked, frazzled that his moment was being anticlimactic again, "What's so funny?" "Heheh, your head! You've got company!" Téa answered, "An Octopus to be exact!"

Sure, enough a little pink octopus was peeking out from Mako's googles. "Huh…?" Mako grunted. "Hahaha!" Joey laughed. "Rrrgh, off with you!" Mako growled as he ripped the poor thing off his head and threw him back into the sea.

"No, don't!" Tristan cried, "OCTOPUS!" "I wanted to eat that!" Joey complained. "You're demented," Tristan said, not admitting he wanted to too.

"Hunh. Are you telling me that those two are here as Duelists?" Mako asked turning back to Yugi, "You guys sure seem to be Duelists to me." "Nice to meet you. I'm Yugi Muto," Yugi introduced himself, "Sorry about your fish."

"You? You're Yugi Muto, the only Duelist to ever defeat Seto Kaiba? And so easily? Hahah! What a fine surprise! I've heard you're good. It's an honor to have ya in this tournament, and it will be my very great honor to face you in a Duel!" Mako exclaimed. "N…Not really…so easily," Yugi stammered, "But same here, it would be an honor to face you, Mako."

"Ok, Ok. I must apologize; I've been ungracious. Sorry for my rudeness. Since Yugi Muto is friends with you all, I will forgive you. Please! Come sit down, eat your fill!" Mako offered. "Really?" Tristan asked. "Seriously?" Joey asked. "Tha-a-anks!" Joey and Tristan exclaimed. "You are welcome," Mako

Faster than you can say, seafood feast, they ran back to the campfire. "Let's dig in!" They both exclaimed, "Feeding Frenzy!"

Without further ado, they started digging into the fish. Tristan was so relieved by his taste buds, he cried in happiness. "Oh, man, Freaky Fish guy really knows how to cook! Hmm-hmm!" Tristan exclaimed, "It's great to have friends!"

"That's good," Téa said, "Really good, huh?" "Mmmm-hmm!" Yugi agreed. "Heheheh!" Mako chuckled in his head as he also dug into his fish.

BUURRRPPPP! Joey belched as they finished the meal. "Ew!" Satomi exclaimed. "Wow, that was good!" Joey said, "I'm full."

"The grilled fish was delicious!" Téa said, "Where'd you learn to cook like that?" "Hahaha! I've had to fend for myself since I was a tadpole. But it was my father who taught me how to fish and cook," Mako explained, "If I win the tournament, I will buy a boat and catch some better fish for you," Mako

"So-o-o, that's what brings you here to the competition?" Yugi asked, "You want a ship?" "Part of it…I want to buy a newer model. Then, go out to the sea again. So that I can catch more fish at a time," Mako explained, "In fact, I was raised on a fishing boat, where I learned to love the sea, so if I win here. I would love a vessel of my own. Of course, I'll have to beat a few Duelist first. Hahahahaha!"

"Your own boat? How great would that be, living life out on the big blue sea!" Téa said, "It would be great to live out on the sea. I envy that kind of lifestyle." "That's a real dream come true," Satomi added.

"Yes, the ocean is amazing, and we have shared a special bond since I was born. The ocean is my world. I've been living at the Ocean's side since I was born. That's why I know the ocean's happiness, and when it's sad. I understand the sea very much," Mako explained with feeling, "I can tell when the sea is happy by the way it sparkles, and when it is angry, by the shifting tides…"

"Ehaha, excuse me, I didn't mean to be so serious," Mako apologized, sheepish by his speech, "Sorry for sayin' strange things."

"Oh no, not at all…don't apologize!" Téa reassured. "We all have our passions," Satomi said. "You save our hides! We'd be stravin' without you!" Joey added, "You even gave us a free dinner."

"Well then, it's time to go," Joey said as he and the other stood up to leave, "This's really been great; thanks again!" "Really, leaving so soon, are you?" Mako asked with a glint in his eyes.

"Nice meeting you, Mako!" Téa said, "Thanks for the food!" "We'll have to repaid you sometime," Satomi added. "Let's work hard," Yugi said, "Maybe we'll meet up in the competition."

"We certainly will…sooner than you think, my friend!" Mako said as he grabbed his harpoon, "Wait, Yugi. I am not interested in your friends. But Yugi… you won't run away!"

"Huh?" Yugi said. Suddenly, Mako hurled the harpoon at Yugi's feet. "Guhhh!" Yugi exclaimed, near fainting by the near piercing in the foot.

"Ahuhuhuhuh, I treated you to dinner, perhaps you will…honor me with a Duel," Mako "You…!" Joey growled, "He's nuts!"

"No, but I am an expert fisherman. I'm not stupid enough to feed you and then let you go," Mako said, "And you have taken my bait! Ahahahaha!"

"What bait?" Téa asked, "What do you mean?"

"Why, the fish of course! I hold the advantage in the sea. I take care of this area, this is the place where I use food to reel in hungry Duelists. I laid it out and lured you three right in! But I never expected to catch Yugi Muto!" Mako explained.

"I guess we should have figured something was fishy," Satomi said. "Darn. You treat people like fish…" Joey said. "So that's why you were being really nice to us," Tristan said.

"Aahh, forget this crazy chicken of the sea, Yugi," Joey exclaimed dismissing the idea. "Can't we just give the guy a few fish?" Tristan asked. "It's in our stomachs now, genius" Satomi deadpanned.

"I reeled in another Duelist a short time ago, but he was not a worthy opponent. Just like choosing an opponent to test my power. But a Duel against you, Yugi would be a true test!" Mako said referring to the Star Chips on his Glove, "But, you are not good enough. Yugi, let's Duel. I'll beat ya!"

Then the Millennium Puzzle was glowing again and Yugi had changed again. "Alright," Yugi said, "Mako Tsunami, I accept your challenge!"

With that, a Duel Ring rose from the ocean. "This is my area…Duel Ring!" Mako exclaimed, "Behold, Yugi Muto! We shall battle beside the majestic sea!"

"The playing field is equally split into two halves; one half is land, the other is sea," Mako explained as he and Yugi took their places on the podiums, "In this field's condition, I'm the navy head, and you're only a tiny soldier. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, it's ok," Yugi said, "And the stakes, Mako?" "I wager two Star Chips on this match," Mako said, "So, each player will bet two Star Chips." "Alright!" Yugi agreed as they placed the Star Chips on the tables, "Two Stars."

"Yugi, you have fallen into my trap now," Mako thought to himself with a savage glint in his eyes, filled with excitement, "Finally, an adversary of real merit! How I have waited for this day!" "Duel Start!" Mako and Yugi exclaimed at the same time.

"This should be some match!" Téa stated, "Yugi, do your best!" "Don't lose to that ocean jerk!" Joey exclaimed, "Sink that soggy sucker, Yugi!"

"I'm curious to see, how you will combat my mighty denizens of the deep!" Mako said, "My card is…this!" As Mako placed his card, light appeared under the water, but no Monster appeared.

"What? What's this? There's no data for that card…The Monster isn't even materializing!" Yugi said, but then he realized, "His creature is underwater! How do I choose which card to play, when I can't even see what I'm fighting!" "What does this mean?" Joey asked, "This I don't like."

"The ocean conceals many things beneath its shifting surface," Mako said, "Well, what will you do? This is my attack! Rrgh! If that thing stays submerged, I can't attack!" Yugi said, "Do I have to fight against an opponent that I can't see?" Yugi said. Below the water's surface, a tentacled beast was eying Yugi through the water, ready to strike.

"Hey, what's wrong? It's your turn!" Mako said, "I promise he won't stay submerged for very long!" "So, all my opponent's Monsters are hidden, but they definitely are there. Therefore, the data isn't there," Yugi thought, "I have no idea what that thing is down there. So, I better prepare for the worst, with as strong a defense as possible!"

"Hm! Clearly this is Yugi's first encounter with sea-based Duel Monsters. He will learn firsthand what a powerful ally the sea can be! It gives my creatures a Field Power Bonus, and it conceals them, making their stealthy attacks even more lethal!" Mako thought, "After the Fiend Kraken 's Attack Points are increased from the Sea's Field Power Bonus, it's Attack will be upped to 1560 and Defense 1829. But you don't know this quite yet. That's the horrible thing about the ocean."

"Something's fishy! How can he fight what he can't see?!" Joey asked. "Beats me," Téa answered. "A scuba gear equip card?" Satomi suggested. "Darn, he can't attack!" Joey said. "No way…" Téa exclaimed. "This is totally bogus!" Tristan said, "That's unfair, Mako!"

"Ahahahaha! It seems that my ocean-based strategy has taken you by surprise, Yugi!" Mako stated, "If the Legendary Duelist's bothered by such minor details, he's not worth playin'!"

"Maybe so…but I can still raise a strong defense!" Yugi thought, "Here, I can only hope." "My Card is this!" Yugi said, "I call upon the Horn Imp!" on the land, a brown creature with a horn on his forehead appeared.

"Now, Fiend Kraken, Go!" Mako ordered, "Ensnare him!" Two tan tentacles with red suckers came from the water and wrapped around the Horned Imp, raising him in the air. "What? My Imp! Attack!" Yugi commanded to no avail. The Horned Imp was helpless.

"Ugh!" Joey and Tristan exclaimed. "What is that?" Téa asked. "Whatever it is, it's bad news for Yugi!" Joey stated, "Aw, man, Yugi's Imp is done for!" Joey said, and the Imp was hopeless against the giant squid creature.

"Fiend Kraken, end this now!" Mako commanded, "Tentacle Submission!" With that, tentacles crushed the Imp and he shattered into pieces. And the tentacles wave triumphally as if it was applauding itself.

"Horned Imp, Defeated," Mako said, "Well done, Kraken!" "Ugh…" Yugi growled, the Duel was already heading off to a bad start. "Wow, and that was just his opening move!" Téa said, "Now he can't move an inch!"

Then the tentacles went underwater again, unseen by the opposing Duelist, namely, Yugi. "It's gone back into the ocean again!" Yugi said, "Ugh! You're good, Mako; A brilliant opening play."

"This is the Sea Stealth Attack!" Mako said, "I am pleased you appreciate it! Though I very much doubt your Imp did." Neither did Yugi, as his Life Points are now 1740. Which would mean that Fiend Kraken's Attack Power was 1560! "Sea Stealth Attack?" Yugi asked, "Well, now I know what I'm up against."

"Yes, the mighty ocean commands respect, as do the creatures that inhabit it!" Mako said, "It's just the beginning of the Ocean! Now, go back to your Field."

"As long as I can't see the opponent's where his attacks are coming from, I can only use a defense right now. But I won't give up just yet. Next turn, I will show you my strength," Yugi thought, "Maybe I can prepare an attack, that will destroy his creatures, even though I can't see them."

"Feral Imp," Yugi announced, "My Feral Imp should dispense with Mako's Monsters, no matter how deep they're hidden in the sea."

"I am familiar with your feral Monster, and its electrical attack! I know what you're aiming for. So, for my next Card, I play my Giant Jellyfish!" Mako said as he set the card facedown, "He'll go in Defense Position. Hahahaha, behold!"

Then a squealing sound like an elk was heard. "Ah! I don't like the sound of that!" Yugi said, "I can't see it again…" "Hahahaha! That is the battle cry of my creature!" Mako said, "What are you gonna do, Yugi?"

"It'll be crying all right, once I combine my Feral Imp with the magical Horn of the Unicorn!" Yugi said. The Feral Imp started sparkling all over its body with electricity as it roars like a monkey as the Unicorn Horn was added, making it more fiercer looking and has 2000 Attack Points.

"All right!" Joey said, "That's it!" "What?" Téa asked. "Yugi can't see Mako's Monsters, but he knows they're all underwater, and water conducts electricity!" Joey explained, "That Monster is going to hide in the Ocean Field. That means that all his Monsters are hiding underwater. Yugi planned to trap him in the Ocean."

"Oh…so they're vulnerable to the Feral Imp's electrical attack! Whoa that is so clever!" Téa said, "There is another attack."

"Magic Lightning, Attack!" Yugi commanded. The Feral Imp attacks the water and a spinning pillar of water emerges into the air. "Alright!" Joey exclaimed, "S a fish-fry!"

Mako just grinned, knowing something the others didn't. "But wait, what is this? Nothing's happening, Mako still has all his Life Points!" Yugi said, "Why haven't your Life Points changed?"

"Ahahaha! Your strategy has failed, Yugi!" Mako said, "You fell into my trap." "What? How?!" Yugi asked. Then the Jellyfish mentioned from before rose from the ocean and hovered over the water.

"As a Sea Duelist, I understand water conducts electricity; so, I played my Giant Jellyfish! It has the magical ability to absorb all electrical attacks, protecting all of my ocean creatures!" Mako explained, "Then, they can resolve that electricity, and use it against you on all your monsters!" "Rrrgh!" Yugi growled as the Jellyfish went back into the ocean, as the Kraken's tentacles appeared again.

"And now it's time for my counterattack! Fiend Kraken, Attack! Tentacle Submission!" Mako commanded, "Crush his Feral Imp!"

"Crush him, now!" Mako commanded. The tentacles wrapped around the Imp and crushed it as it did the Horned Imp. Yugi was really having a hard time keeping it together as the tentacles submerged into the sea again and Yugi's Life Points are now 1480. "Ahahaha! Did you enjoy my Kraken's embrace? Hahahahaha!" Mako said, "In the sea, I will always win!"

"I've never Dueled against creatures like these before! It feels as if I'm battling Mako's sea Monsters, and the awesome power of the ocean itself!" Yugi thought, "You are very good Mako Tsunami. Your Attacking technique and strategy are perfect! In the ocean, that's hard to be controlled…" "Do any of your Cards have the power to stand against my Ocean pets?" Mako questioned.

"What should I do? I guess I can only keep attacking," Yugi thought. "I have the power of Silver Fang," Yugi proclaimed as he set down the green wolf. "And I combine him with the magic of the Full Moon, to double his ferocity!" Yugi said as Silver Fang appeared with a ferocious howl and a large moon appeared in the background.

"Ahahahahaha! Ferocious, indeed! What kind of card is that? What in the ocean can you attack with that? I will let you experience the ocean's heavy force!" Mako said, "The moon also controls the tides, causing them to rise. Allowing me to unleash my next creature! Arise mighty Kairyu-shin!"

"Rrgh! What's this?!" Yugi asked, as a large sea serpent appeared with a roar in a rising tidal wave. "Whoa, what is that?" Joey asked, "That is one big fish!"

"Behold the colossal Kairyu-Shin, a creature so enormous, that when he rises up from the ocean depths, he creates his own tidal wave!" Mako said, "The ocean's Field Power Bonus makes it power-up! Now raised to 2340 Attack Points, 1950 Defense Points!" "What a beast!" Yugi

"Your wolf is brave, Yugi, but he will not stand before my Kairyu-Shin's Tidal Attack!" Mako said, "You can't look down on the sea. The aftermath of destroying an ocean isn't funny."

Kairyu-Shin unleash its attack and the waves bowled over Silver Fang, drowning him as he howled in agony. "No! Silver Fang!" Yugi exclaimed as the crashing wave splashed sea form over him.

"Silver Fang, gone. Now I am not being hurt by your Monster,' Mako said, "But my Kairyu-Shin's Tidal Attack did more than simply wash your wolf cub away." "What?!" Yugi asked. "Look at the field!" Mako pointed out, "It considerably altered our playing field."

Yugi looked over the Field, saw that there was only enough land for one monster card. "Ah…! This is…! My land!" Yugi said, "Most of my Field is underwater now! Kairyu-Shin's attack has nearly washed away my entire land-based playing Field!"

"Kairyu-Shin is showing you his anger! That hit took over 95% of your Field, under the water! Also, you have no more space from your field to use anymore cards! You're going to lose soon," Mako said, "Ahahaha. You should consider yourself lucky, Yugi. In my previous Duels, when Kairyu-Shin attacks, absolutely nothing is left standing in its wake. I think it was quite considerate of my pet to leave you a little patch of dirt to stand on! Don't you?"

"…Or does it make you uneasy to be surrounded on all sides of the sea…?" Mako asked. "That means my opponent isn't just Monsters, but now the whole ocean," Yugi thought.

"Your eyes are showing fear to the Ocean. Just like when I was a kid," Mako said with the utmost seriousness. "What do you mean?" Yugi asked. "All men give pause before the savage power of the mighty ocean. Even the greatest of fishermen," Mako explained. "You mean your father…" Yugi said, remembering what he said earlier about his father teaching Mako's love of the sea.

"My father was a great fisherman. The greatest fisherman in the land. He taught me my love of the sea. But the sea…my Dad…one day the sea…took him…" Mako said as he leaned on the console, setting the Cards in his hands down and he thought back to his father.

"I used to think the ocean gave people warmth and made them full of life. But I gave up that theory after that day…" Mako explained, "I loved going out on the boat with my father…just the two of us, and the big, beautiful ocean! …Never suspecting that the sea would turn on us."

_**Flashback:**_

Years ago, about thirteen-year-old Mako and his Father were on a small white fishing boat as Seagulls flew overhead. The father son duo was pulling a rope aboard when Mako's Father got a strange feeling.

"Look, Mako! There's a storm blowing in," Mako's father said. "A big one?" The young Mako asked feeling fearful. "Maybe. I've learned to never take chances with the sea," Mako's father explained.

He remained quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Mako, the ocean itself is a Monster," Mako's father said. "Monster?" A young Mako asked losing his grip on the rope. "I heard that we should not underestimate the Ocean's power…" Mako's Father said. "Oh," Young Mako understood.

"And Father was right! Suddenly the calm, friendly sea turned into a raging maelstrom! It pitched our boat as if it were a toy," the present Mako said as he remembered the dark clouds spread over the horizon, which turned the tranquil sea into deadly waters with its choppy waves, "It's peace in the past was like a dream to me… Suddenly, it showed me its ugly and terrible side."

"Ahh, Father, I can't hold on!" young Mako exclaimed as he tried to hold on to the side of the boat. "It's okay Mako," Mako's Dad reassured.

"Dad…that!" Young Mako pointed to a tidal wave heading their way. "Mako, you will die if you get swept under by the sea," Mako's Father said as he got a rope and tied his son to the mast, "There, I've tied you down. You'll be safe here, son, I promise."

"Dad, look out!" Young Mako called out as the tidal wave came above them. "Who-o-o-a-a-a!" Mako and his father cried out as everything went black.

_**End Flashback:**_

"When the Storm finally died out and I woke up, our little boat had washed ashore. I was alone on the boat. Then, I couldn't find my Dad…" Mako said full of anguish as he felt like he relived the disaster all over again, "My father was right, I had been perfectly safe…but because he had stopped to tie me down, he had no time to secure himself to the mast! I thought I had lost him forever, but then I noticed that our lifeboat was missing!"

Yugi could only listen in silence, understanding where Mako was coming from. Unlike Weevil, he was honorable, and he was also fighting for a loved one like him.

"I know my Father is alive! So, I will win this contest, buy a ship, and search the seven seas until I find him! that is why I Duel, Yugi, that is why I must win, and you must lose!" Mako exclaimed as he clenched his fist, "Do you understand this, Yugi? I must challenge the ocean for my Dad. And someday, I won't be afraid of the sea anymore. I will be the greatest fisherman. That is what I'm here for. So, I cannot lose. Finish the game, Yugi. It's your turn!"

"I understand, Mako, believe me; but I still can't let you win," Yugi said, "I will finish this with you peacefully then," Yugi  
"Ha!" Mako exclaimed with a grin, ready to continue the challenge.

"Oh, wow. Yugi…" Téa said. "Mako Duels for his dad like Yugi Duels for his Grandpa," Joey said, "He actually has a soft side too." "Whoa, this is too intense!" Tristan said, "What an opponent…" "I had to admit, when he said that fish was bait, I thought he was a sneak like Weevil and Mai, but he's got a heart as well," Satomi said solemnly, "And I know how important a father can be."

"Only 5% of the Field, so I have to get that card. Let's settle this!" Yugi thought to himself, "With so little land left to me, I've really gotta make the next play count. I need something that will help me turn the tide. Something like this Card."

"Here comes, Giant Soldier of Stone. This giant soldier can effectively use the remaining 5% left. So, his Attack and Defense Points go up from the land!" Yugi said as a giant statue appeared face up on the tiny island, "You may've shrunk my battlefield down to an island, Mako, but my Stone Soldier still gets a Field Power Bonus!"

"Your massive Monster can barely fit on that little rock, let alone do battle with my undersea attack force!" Mako stated. "Mmm," Yugi mused. "It's a very good attack force. And he is surrounded by the ocean, making him easy prey for…Great White Terror! This Monster can move freely in the ocean. So, it increases the attack's area," Mako said as a Great White Shark Monster, "This savage shark will lead my other sea creatures in an all-out ocean onslaught!"

"Man, Yugi's guy is outnumbered three-to-one! His Stone Soldier's about to become fish-food!" Joey exclaimed as Mako's Monster under the water surrounded the Soldier ready to strike, "Darn it! It's stopping him from moving!"

"Now the Giant Soldier of Stone can't move. Don't even think about trying to increase your field. Yugi, sorry but I've won," Mako said, "This is it, Yugi. It's over…but you played honorably."

"You have been a fair and noble opponent too. Mako, but I, also, Duel with the fate of a loved one at stake," Yugi said, "And I can't afford to lose. I switch my Stone Soldier to Attack Mode! And I return your earlier words. I was waiting for this moment!" "What was that?" Mako asked blinking figuring out what Yugi meant.

"Giant Soldier of Stone, Attack!" Yugi ordered. "What? Attack Mode…? But why?! My Monster have already blocked him. how can he still attack?" Mako asked, "He cannot attack my sea Monsters while they're underwater!"

"But his target isn't your Sea Monsters. This attack does not limit just to Monsters, but the card I played on the field before. I'm having him attack a Card I put on the Field myself…" Yugi pointed out and the Soldier slowly drew out his sword and pointed it towards the sky, "The Moon!" "What?! No!" Mako exclaimed, realizing he was in trouble.

"Now, Stone Soldier! Destroy the moon!" Yugi commanded, "Attack! Rock Crush Sword!" The Stone Soldier raised its sword and pierces the moon, shattering it and sending pieces of moon to fall in the ocean below.

"Ugh!" Mako grunted when he noticed that the water was disappearing, "What? What's happening?! The tide! The ocean is dissipating! Why?! "It's going out! But how?!"

"The Full Moon Card increased the tide. As you yourself said before, Mako, it is the moon that controls the ocean's tides…its ebb and its flow. So, I ordered my Stone Soldier to obliterate the moon, causing the ocean's tides to reverse and recede," Yugi explained. "Wha…what?! Rrrrgh!" Mako growled in frustration.

"When the Moon was destroyed, the Field Power Bonus is decreased dramatically!" Yugi said as all the ocean Monsters were lying on the dry ocean floor, gasping for air, "My Stone Soldier has beached all you Sea Monsters; you have no ocean let!" "My Monsters…No…my…precious…fish!" Mako muttered.

"The circumstances are obvious, that's the truth. And now I'll deliver the final blow. I combine my Curse of Dragon Card with the magic of the Burning Land Card, to wipe out your remaining Life Points! Burning Land Attack! All of the Opponent's Monsters are killed," Yugi said as the Dragon burned the sea creatures to ashes, "And that takes your Life Points down to zero." "Rrrrgh…aaah, no! I lost!" Mako screamed.

"Hahaha! Awesome! Yugi won! Way to go, Yugi!" Téa cheered. "Yeah! Alright!" Tristan and Joey grunted as they posed as musclemen. "That's our boy!" Satomi exclaimed.

"My Water Cards lost on my own Field. Destroying your own moon card was a brilliant and unexpected move. Yugi, I lost, you are very good," Mako admitted, then he gave a deep sigh and regain a cheerful face, "Ahaha! What a grand Duel! I salute you, my friend!"

"You are also very good," Yugi said, "This victory was not easily won, Mako. You're a great Duelist yourself." "Ha!" Mako said as he cheerily flicked something off his nose with a wink.

With the Duel done, the ocean arena had disappeared under the waves again. "I am down to one Star Chip, but I will start over again!" Mako said. "And I bet you'll do fine," Yugi said, "Let's do our best." "You'd win that wager! Ha!" Mako exclaimed as they grasped each other's hands as rivals and friends.

"All Duelist have their own hopes and expectations," Téa said, "You know, I can't help but like that Mako. He's such a great guy and all. I hope he finds his father someday." "Mmm-hmm," Joey agreed.

Then Mako's stomach growled very loudly, causing an awkward moment. "Ahahaha! My friend, dueling you is hungry work!" Mako said, "People who arrive on the island, should fill-up their stomachs first. See ya! Let's go get some food!"

Then he took running and jumped into the ocean. "Time for Mako to fish again! Farewell…!" Mako exclaimed as he swam into the great sea with a hearty laugh. This caused the others back on land to stare at his retreating figure flabbergasted.

"He seems to be…" Téa began to say. "Very Optimistic," Tristan added. "Well, bye, Mako…" Téa said. "Wish he'd bring us some fish…" Tristan added. "We'd have to Duel him again…" Yugi said. The others just laughed. "I think one Duel was more than enough," Satomi said.

"Forget about it! But guys, I am getting seriously hungry," Joey said. "Me too," Tristan agreed. "Didn't we just eat?" Téa asked. "Hey, let's have some more food!" Joey said ignoring her statement. "Not a problem! We've still got my Great Outdoor Survival Guide!" Tristan offered.

"No way!" Téa declined. "G'head, Tristan, eat all the pages you like!" Joey insisted. "That's one way to get your fiber," Satomi teased, earning another laugh.

"Alright, let's go!" Yugi said. Everyone nodded and began to walk back to the forest. As they walked back, Yugi glanced back at ocean to see that Mako was no longer in sight. And then he returned to his friends to continue the journey to rescue his grandfather.


End file.
